


Live Life, and Let It Die

by Blueberry_Muffin_Massacre



Category: Let It Die (Video Game), Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Crack Crossover, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-07-27 12:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16218716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberry_Muffin_Massacre/pseuds/Blueberry_Muffin_Massacre
Summary: 2026 AD. The "EARTH RAGE" Tectonic Disturbance brought chaos to the world the gems swore to protect. The earth was split into four terrestrial masses, chaos overcoming humanity. Domination, War, Disaster, and Famine broke out upon the four lands, bringing mankind to it's knees. In the midst of the chaos, The Crystal Gems sought to protect the earth as they always had. They brought relief to those that needed it, stopped those that wished to bring harm, and though they were few, they brought some semblance of order to the ruined planet.In the center of the world, a massive tower rose into the sky, cutting the clouds and piercing the heavens, looking down at the earth from above. It became known as the Tower of Barbs, a place many thought to hold the key to the future.2029 AD. A young man seeks to unwind by visiting a local arcade.





	1. Line 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie wakes up on a subway train, en-route to the Tower of Barbs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first fanfic I've ever written, and boy it shows. I imagine only a total of 3 people, maybe, will be interested in both Let It Die AND Steven Universe, but I needed to get this idea down.

 

**In the Year of our Lord, 2026 A.D. The "EARTH RAGE" Tectonic Disturbance destroyed the world as we knew it. An earthquake of apocalyptic scale rocked the earth, splitting it into four terrestrial masses. Entire cities were shaken to dust, entire strips of land swallowed by sea water, the death toll rose to millions. 'Domination', 'War', 'Disaster', and 'Famine' spread across the four lands, and mankind soon fell into disarray. Crime became uncontrollable, Riots ruled the streets, the madness of the broken world rose the death toll higher still.**

**In the Year of our Lord, 2027 A.D. The world began to still. Humanity began to tire of chaos. Relief efforts finally began to succeed in the face of destruction, and the world slowly began to stabilize. Old factories began to churn out resources, great structures of leisure were converted into shelters, and those that still sought to bring destruction were labeled as enemies of the public. In the wake of such destruction, a group known as the Crystal Gems became known by the public eye. Their efforts to provide care and relief to the four lands made them recognized as but one of many forces of good in a fractured world.**

**In the center of the world, a great tower rose steeply into the sky. It was a twisted, glorious structure that split the sky, looking down at the earth from the heavens above. People believed it held the key to the future. Some thought it was a sign of divinity, while others believed it held a great treasure at its peak. It became known as the Tower of Barbs, a place where one could become closest to god.**

* * *

  **In the Year of our Lord, 2029 A.D. An arcade opens it's doors to the public.**

* * *

 

It began with a jolt, Stevonnie opening their eyes to the sensation of electricity coursing through their spine. Their vision was blurry, mind swimming, dazed and confused and lost. Where were they? They blinked, raising their hands to wipe tears from their eyes, speaking with themselves. “Connie? I’m here, I’m here Steven. But…where is here?” Their eyes finally began to focus, to take in the scenery.

They froze, their chest locked up. They were on a subway, filled with dozens and dozens of bodies lining the seats, each wired with thick cables to some strange devices above them, each with a strip of skin remove from the chest, revealing blue LED lights. Stevonnie began to stand but was halted, a tug on the back of their neck, as well as along their spine. They gulped, slowly turning around, seeing the same cables in them as well.

Panic quickly took over, hands flailing to pull and yank at each wire. They fell without resistance, and the moment they were free, they fell backwards out of the seat and onto the metal floor, hyperventilating and crying. They closed their eyes. “I don’t… I don’t want to look down. I don’t want to see our body. But we have to know, it will be okay, it will be…” They slowly opened one eye as they looked down. Their clothes were replaced with basic undergarments, form fitting and latex, almost like swimwear. Their skin was marked with scars, blemishes, stains, as if it weren’t cut open but torn open in various places. A strip of flesh was missing on their collar, glowing blue seeping out of it. They gently felt their body, the hard scarring, the smooth metal where the cables once were. This is a nightmare. They’ve been turned into…this. They’ve been…wait.

Their Gem was missing.

They felt their stomach. Not only was their gem missing, but there was no sign of scarring, no surgical cuts. They even had a belly button.

“What? How? I thought I was-was this surgery? Or…magic? But then why all the scars and-?”

Their questioning was stopped by the sound of the subway’s breaks, the stiff bodies gently tilting as the train screeched to a halt. Stevonnie took a deep breath, wiping their eyes, listening to their heart beat as they calmed down.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we can’t stay here. We have to find the gems, we have to find our gem! We just need to make sure we’re alright…” They gently felt their stomach. Such distress normally caused them to unfuse, able to comfort each other, but they were still together. “I’ll see you soon, I promise. Alright? We’ll get out of this.” With self-reassurance, they shakily stood from the floor and made their way to the open doors.

The station was bright in contrast to the dark of the subway, eyes squinting at the pinpricks of white and blue lines. The station was clean, and in remarkably good shape. With the train horn silence and the train halted, it was remarkably quiet. They could only hear their own breathing, the quiet tinkling of the crystal chandeliers above them, and the wheels of a…skateboard?

“Senpai!”  
Stevonnie turned to face the noise, only for a man to promptly screech directly in front of them, a bespectacled skull invading inches from their face. The sudden appearance of this stranger caused them to scream, scrambling backwards before falling over onto their back.

“Aha, I was waiting for you! Oh, careful! The floor’s slippery as hell on bare feet!”

The initial fear was replaced by confusion. This man had appeared from nowhere, and yet he looked so…goofy. He seemed like he was wearing a grim reaper Halloween costume, black mask underneath a false skull, and held what looked like a golden scythe. That alone may have been scary but accompanied by the fact that he rode in on a skateboard, and the strangely hypnotic sunglasses that swam with red and white designs he wore over his mask, he just looked ridiculous.

“This your first time riding Line 15, Huh? I know, it’s not a very well known line, I admit! Anyway, this is the last stop!”

And his voice, what was that accent? The stranger started to hop in place excitedly while announcing the train, causing Stevonnie to just stare. They were beginning to think this was a dream. I mean, that made the most sense, right? Waking up in a subway train as a weird cyborg straight out of a science fiction show, only to be greeted by a skateboarding grim reaper? They shook their head, looking back at the strange specs of the stranger before they finally spoke to him.

“I-I’m sorry, who are you? And did you just call me “Senpai?””

“Yeah! As a term of respect, y’know? One gamer to another? Oh, I forgot to mention, My name! Is Uncle Death!”

Uncle. Death.

Stevonnie just looked at them incredulously. Dream was currently the easiest explanation, but this didn’t feel like a dream. Too lucid, yet no control. Steven was certain this was real, or at least more real, than a normal dream. So how does one explain this…Uncle Death? If this is real, they don’t have time for nonsense. They are still lost and confused, the sooner they leave, the better.

“Uhm, Okay? Uncle Death? I’d love to stick around but I need to get out of here, do you know where the exit is?”

Uncle Death tilted his head at them. With his mask and glasses, it made let much of his expression hidden and hard to read. He suddenly snapped up, as if realizing something.

“Oh! Yeah, it’s right up those stairs!” He spoke as he hopped out of the way, pointing behind him, up a flight of stairs out of the station. “Just go up there, take a right at the top, through the service doorway and up the escalator. Then you just reach the end of the Ikegara floor!”

Stevonnie lit up. Progress! An exit! “Oh, thank the stars, Thank you! I gotta go-!”

“Ah! Hold on!” Uncle Death grabbed their shoulder, halting their exit. When they turned to face him, he was holding something new, a belt with what seemed like a few holsters on it. Where was he keeping that, in his cloak?

“Before you get going, you’re going to need these! First, a gas mask! The air here isn’t exactly scented fresh!” He’d present the small mask, metal and simple, a vent on the front and two filters on each side. Stevonnie raised an eyebrow, Connie going wild. What necessitates a gas mask!? What sort of gas is it? Is it debilitating? Poisonous? Lethal? The fusion began to sweat, anxiety returning.

“And! On the back of this belt here! This is an Underworld Rolodex! It’s super important.” Stevonnie took the belt, opening a small bag on the back to pull out the red notebook. It was…incredibly colorful. Filled to bursting with small paper sheets and stickers, a small “Uncle Death Paper Doll”, and several maps. Steven thought it looked like a scrap book, or maybe some sort of activity book for kids on vacation through a park or something. Wait, there’s even a place to collect stamps!

“There, All set Senpai! You want to leave, right? Put a motor in it then, Senpai! I’ll see you up ahead, I have a feeling you and I are going to get along juuuust fine!” A small push of his glasses to his mask and Uncle Death promptly spun, skateboarding down the station. He’d ollie off his skateboard, only to vanish and reappear a few feet further down, grinding on the rails and chairs. Until he attempted to ride off one of the trains themselves, causing him to wipe out.

Stevonnie just blinked at the odd individual. Did they warp around? Well, that’s not the oddest thing they’ve seen, what with warping lions and such. Focus, the exit’s up ahead. Find an exit, get your bearings, find the gems, figure out what’s going on with your body. Not strictly in that order.

The station went from dark and moody blue lights to bright and well lit, polished tile and marble walls shone in the light. The top of the stairs had a hallway leading to the rest of the station it seemed, a gated off hallway and less-clean hallways leading elsewhere, but to the right was the service entrance Uncle Death mentioned, the walls cracked and industrial lights blaring within, illuminating a simple escalator.


	2. Screamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which killing a man gruesomely and bloodily has the expected response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny edit to a part in the middle, to better write the scene where the Screamer dies.

The halls became dark, blaring spotlights being the sole source of light showing cracked floors of rough concrete and chipped brick walls. It was rough and ruined, nothing like the station they rode in on. Worse yet, something was in the air, something miniscule like dust but thicker, more pungent. Stevonnie tapped their mask that was given to them moments ago. What is this stuff, so dangerous as to need a mask?

“Hey Senpai! It’s Me!” The sudden cheery voice of Uncle Death startled them all over again, spinning around to locate him. They felt something tiny on their garments, a small speaker on their top. “This device here, as all the cool kids call it, is a Bluetooth speaker! I’ll be keeping in touch!”

“Okay, Hi! Hello again Mr. Death! Um, can you hear us through this?”

“Of course I can! What’s up?”

Okay, they had their attention. They slipped a speaker on them? “Mind telling us why we’re all…Cyborg-y? Roboty? I wasn’t like this yesterday!”

“Hmm, A mystery then! Sorry Senpai, everyone who rides Line 15 looks like that. Couldn’t tell you!” He continued to speak as Stevonnie opened their mouth to reply. “Oh! Oh! There’s an enemy up ahead! Go and get it!”

“What? An enemy, what do you mean? Hello?”

Silence. “Great.” So he was no help past pointing the way out. Oh come on, that’s too harsh, he gave us a mask to help us! Stevonnie argued internally as they walked.

Even with a mask, this place smelled musty and damp, the concrete mixing between sharp and wet under their feet. This place wasn’t great at all, they decided. All the more reason to leave as soon as possible. The hallway hit what seemed to have once been a dead end, but broken walls showed new pathways through narrow tunnels and sewage pipes.

They stepped out of a pipe into a large, open square room. The moment they stepped out they were assaulted by sound and scent, the cranking of iron clangs as the exits sealed shut, barred by iron gates. And the smell…It was horrid. It was thick and filled with iron, the smell of blood. A few sprays along the walls and floor were aged, rusted and brown, but there was a fresh puddle pooling out of a body nearby. It had the same undergarments and modifications as the bodies on the train, and standing above with someone similar, only…deranged. Their skin grey and rotting, filled with mold, eyes glowing red, matched by the dead and flickering light upon their chest.

Stevonnie’s hair stood on end, every instinct in their body beginning to scream at them to freeze, to not move a muscle and not alert this person. This person was dangerous. As they lingered above and picked at the body below them, Stevonnie slowly turned to find some sort of escape route.

Only for their attempts of quiet to be ruined by a speaker on their chest.

“Yeah! Let’s go! The first enemy’s up ahead!”

Stevonnie began to madly tap at the speaker, shushing it and the person speaking through it, before turning to face the person. They did not speak, hissing and gurgling through their own gas mask, before sprinting towards them full tilt.

They couldn’t sit still, they were seen. They couldn’t run, the exits were barred off. They shook as they instinctually began to try and summon a shield, only for none to arrive, their gem missing and taking its powers with it. “D-don’t come a step closer! Stay back!” Their shouting was only met by further hissing, this thing more animal than person. Stevonnie balled their fists, they had to fight.

Once the molded man got close enough, they took a step forward and drove their fist into their gut. The motion was swift and practiced, Pearl’s tutoring paying off, the man staggering and sputtering. They were not discouraged however and continued their charge. Another punch to the shoulder, then to the neck, both hits causing them to stagger back and hiss in pain, and yet they did not stop their assault.

Their skin felt stiff, rough, and uneven. Stevonnie spared their fists a quick glance and could see slight stains of blood, alongside the tiniest remnants of white filth upon their knuckles, moving in the air like mold. What is this thing? As it approached for a final lunge, Stevonnie shouted before aiming for the jaw, a KO punch. “Stay BACK!”

Their opponent did not simply get knocked back, nor knocked out. Their jaw suddenly broke against their fist like glass, their skin tearing from the contact. It was as if their body exploded, blood suddenly pouring out of every hole in their skin, spraying the floor and walls around them, causing Stevonnie to stumble backwards and cover their face in shock and horror.

The display of gore was over as soon as it started, the creature collapsed on the ground and motionless, mold overtaking their entire body as if decomposing on fast forward. Adrenaline fueled survival instinct slowly washed away as Stevonnie was assaulted by the sight of red, the sticky feeling on their skin, the rotting body of the creature they just killed so easily.

The speaker upon their chest spoke up again. “Woah, not bad! That last hit was killer!” However, Stevonnie did not react. They stared forward, tears beginning to stream from their eyes and down their face, rinsing the sprays that landed there. They collapsed, falling to their knees, hugging themselves and sobbing grossly. Their stomach felt as though it turned inside out, their heart beating out of sync, the world turning red around them. They had fought monsters, Gem monsters, that scuff when injured and poofed when defeated. To fight a monster, a molded human monster, to have it's flesh bend under their fists and blood stain them...They held a hand to their mouth, over their mask. They were going to vomit.

“Hey, Senpai? What-“

“S-shut up, Shut UP! I-I just-I killed it! There’s so much blood and I- “

His accent, once goofy, was now infuriating, like their distress was a joke to them. They shook a moment longer before covering a hand to their mouth. It seemed at the very least that this Uncle Death got the message, remaining silent as Stevonnie broke down.

It’d be a few minutes, time enough to shed more tears and vomit from the smell before Stevonnie shakily stood on their feet. They sniffled, inspecting themselves for a moment, intent to try and wash themselves off somehow, only to notice the blood on their person was almost entirely gone. There were specs, a streak here and there, but most of it had seemingly vanished in the few minutes within their breakdown. They stood, looking at the body of the molded man, only to see the spray of blood he left was almost gone entirely as well, simply replaced with more of this mold.

“I don’t think this is real. What? But what happened…It was so real. But then why is all the blood gone? And why did they erupt like that to begin with? Bodies don’t do that! I know they don’t! I…you’re right. I mean, your mom’s a doctor. Right, and I know it’s physically impossible for blood to spray like that.”

“So this is…a dream. Probably. Yeah, it’s a nightmare. If I leave, I’ll wake up.”

Deep, shaky breaths. They didn’t one hundred percent believe it was a dream, but they didn’t care. They needed the explanation, the reassurance that this madness isn’t real.

“Hey, Senpai, you alright?” There he is again. “Listen man, I didn’t realize you’d not take too well to the ultra-violence type stuff, but there’s no real avoiding it right now. So, I’ll help you out, one gamer to another, huh?”

Stevonnie blinked. Half the things this man said made no sense. Why where they a gamer, exactly? “I’d appreciate that, Uh…Uncle Death. Thanks.”

“You much of a fighter? I mean, you did wreck that guy super hard. Four hits and down. You’re badass.”

“I uh…Thanks. Yeah, I’m a fighter. But the things I fight are normally uh…not people? Not bloody. They just sort of poof away. It’d take a while to explain.”

“Ah, I get it! No worries! Well, I helped clear the path ahead a bit for you! One less bloody fight for you! But you got to fight one more time before you’re outta here. You can totally handle it! I believe in you, Senpai!”

This man was super weird, but not unpleasant, certainly encouraging. “Can you uh…Can you warn me when I get near this fight? Please?”

“Oh certainly! And then once it’s done, you’re home free, baby!”

Stevonnie made a face at no one in particular. “Don’t call me baby.”

“I meant it in the cool guy way, not the flirty way. But got it, I’ll jot that one down in the grim reaper’s notepad! You’re not far from the exit, go get em!”

They smiled at his encouragement. They will have to fight these things again, but only the one time, right? And then they’re home free. It will get violent again, but they know what to expect, and when it’s coming, so they can prepare.

They stood and walked past the molded body, to the iron door. The lock was disengaged, the way clear.


	3. Mushrooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Psychedelic Spores and Magistrates.

"You holding up alright, Senpai?"

Stevonnie heard Uncle Death's voice again as they hoisted themselves up onto the concrete floor. The concrete hallways and pipelines were in horrid shape, parts of the floor forced up several feet into the air, forcing Stevonnie to pull up and climb over rubble in order to progress. "Yeah, I'm fine Uncle Death. I told you, I'm a fighter! I've climbed my fair share of rocks! This stuff's no problem!" They dusted themselves off as they stood upon the concrete floor, seeing a red-lit hallway ahead of them. "Hey, why exactly do you keep calling me Senpai?"

"Told you! As a sign of respect!"

"Any...other reason?"

"It's a good gender-neutral term?"

They thought for a moment. "I guess!" They wrote it off as eccentricity. This person dressed as the grim reaper with sunglasses and skateboarded around, they're not exactly ordinary in behavior.

The corner of the red-lit concrete concealed rows of jail cells. The initial confusion of who was keeping who imprisoned down here passed as they approached, the walls to the cells falling to rubble, rebar and cracked pebbles littering the floor, doors missing from several cells. Despite their relief that this wasn't some twisted prison, just the remains of a hopefully normal one, they halted when they witnessed two bodies on the ground. One was masculine and missing it's head, the other feminine and bifurcated. There was only the slightest hint of blood, a few drops and streaks, white mold overrunning the corpses and making the air smell of death. Stevonnie covered their gas mask for a moment, planning to pinch their nose before realizing it was covered.

"Oh yeah, these were some baddies, some more of those nasty enemies! No worries though Senpai, I cleared this room out for you! But don't leave empty handed, proper badass has got to have the proper arms, eh? I mean, your arms are pretty fuckin jacked anyway, but I mean weapons!"

"Can you please not curse so much?"

"Sorry! Will watch the foul mouth, Ehehaha!"

A roll of the eyes. Not the first person they've met who swore so much. Steven lives with Amethyst after all, the moment he turned 18 she started and never stopped.

Still, his advice to arm themselves was one with merit, since they do have one more fight to deal with if what he said was true. They approached the molded bodies, but hesitated. They were corpses, corpses of rather horrid monsters that they only assumed were once human...and they were really gross to look at. "Steel yourself, Stevonnie. This is to escape." With a puffing of the cheeks they approached, seeing the dead bodies up close, the masses that were now more fungus than flesh. This body had the remains of a shirt on it, a welding mask on it's shoulder? And this one seems like it had a nail gun, but it was clearly broken now, the bottom sliced clean off. Stevonnie overlooked the mess of mold and broken equipment before spying something of use. It was a wrench, tightened around two large bolts strapped tightly together with rubber band, cord and wire. A quick lift found it very heavy for it's size. It was a sort of D.I.Y. hammer! It's not a sword, but right now, they'll take anything.

Shutter gates and long curved passages awaited them after their exit from the ruined cells, the sound of sparking wires and rushing water as they progressed through narrow hallways, eventually reaching a long concrete path, cracked arches revealing rusted iron beams. The opposite end of the passage was blocked, iron bars lowered and blocking progress. They began to scan their surroundings, to find other pathways or a way to open the gate, when they caught sight of something much brighter and colorful than the dull greys of the walls and floor. Mushrooms, massive mushrooms, with caps larger than Stevonnie's hand and stalks longer than a foot in length, growing in one huge bunch tucked away in the corner. It's cap was a teal blue, yet flashed red and green in a psychedelic pattern. Within Stevonnie, Connie was screaming about how wrong this all was, how incorrect such a shape and color are to mushroom, while Steven was just mildly hypnotized and confused. Stevonnie just stared at it in bewilderment for a moment before the speaker on their top spoke up once again.

"Eat Mushrooms. That's a given."

Stevonnie shook their head, raising their hands in the air as if gesturing to the voice on speaker. "What?! No! Eating random mushrooms is incredibly dangerous! So many are poisonous, and this one especially looks like it! Mushrooms aren't suppose to change color like that!" Connie screamed from within the fusion. Survival instincts told them that foraging is useful, but an important rule was to never, ever eat mushrooms.

"Well yeah, loads are poisonous! Some here even explode-"

"Explode?!"

"-But that one? It's reeaal tasty, and good for you too! You can trust Uncle Death on this one, Senpai!"

They looked back at the mushroom caps, the colors still rapidly cycling with one another. Everything else Uncle Death has told them has been nothing but helpful, so why would this be different? An internal compromise: The absolute tiniest nibble. That way if it's harmful at all, it won't be too tough on them.

They leaned down and gently pulled at the mushroom stalk. For some reason they figured it'd not feel like a regular mushroom, but it broke off just as easy as one. They gave one last small look at the flashing colors before they gently lifted their mask up, taking the tiniest bite out of the cap. It was flavorful, meaty and delicious.

And Stevonnie was starving.

They didn't think as they promptly shoved the rest of the mushroom into their mouth, greedily eating at it, before reaching down and grabbing more from the bunch they grew on, stuffing themselves full. Only halfway in their manic consumption of the mushrooms did they hesitate, a quiet concern of something going wrong before they continued to devour what was left. They clicked their mask back on their face, sitting in the light that now streamed through the concrete hallway. This was...nice. They were calm, very calm, at peace for a moment. They'd make it out of here, but they can also rest for a moment. They had a full stomach, felt limber and light, free from distress and anxiety.

...

Stevonnie blinked. The dark concrete hallways had returned in full, the mushroom they ate still missing, and they were...what pose was this? They were on their shoulders and elbows, keeping the rest of their body upright. Is this yoga? Why were they doing _yoga_? They quickly got back to their feet, confusion returning to them in full, before they looked at the remains of the mushrooms they ate. What did they eat, exactly?

"Bet you're feeling pretty pumped, Huh?" The speaker on their top spoke once again. Stevonnie spoke to the voice in anger.

"What did you do?! What just happened, what did we eat?!"

"Woah there, Senpai! You just ate a Yogashroom! Pretty tasty, amirite?"

"Yoga- _What?!_ What were we doing for the past few minutes? Were we just sitting here?"

"It's only been a few seconds, man! And don't tell me you don't feel limber and powered up!"

They were about to scream at him, but paused. They rolled their shoulder and neck, lifting and stretching a leg behind their back. They did feel more limber, full and energized. They had a trip, or they think they did at least, they've never exactly done anything like that before, but it apparently lasted only a few seconds. This feeling of physical wellness did little to perturb their anger.

"Alright, Fine! Yeah, I do feel a little better! I'd like some warning next time before you tell us to eat something that makes us hallucinate!"

"Hey hey, No worries, Senpai! You'll be out of here before you have a chance to eat any of the more fucky mushrooms!"

"Language!" Stevonnie huffed before proceeding down the corridor. Okay, so it was helpful, and he wasn't lying. But he was lying by omission! They'd not have eaten it if they knew it would do that to them! What if it did something worse? It didn't help that the concrete halls were filled with more of these things. There were two rooms to the sides, each filled with rubble and bent steel, too dangerous to attempt to climb on and each concealing a small railway, perhaps for more subway cars in the past, but through each of the cracks of destroyed wall and rubble grew more of these psychedelic "Yogashrooms." Stevonnie couldn't help but giggle at it, actually. It was a little funny, a mushroom that makes you want to do yoga, that's the sort of absurd ridiculousness they expected from a cartoon.

With naught but mushroom caps to find, they proceeded to the end of the hall, blocked by a heavy iron gate...with a body underneath. This one was different, without ports and lights. This was a person, a real person! "Oh my gosh- Are you okay?! Hold on, I'll get you out of there!" They ran to the gate, dancing around it for a moment before bending down, hands on the gate and trying to lift it up. They strained, knees shaking at the sheer weight, only managing to lift it an inch before having to set it back down, worried on crushing the person further. They took a step back, trying to find a switch or something to help lift the gate up, when a hand wrapped around their ankle. They looked down to see the trapped person under the gate, actually taking a moment to take their appearance in.

They were a woman of very pale skin, but they had large black stripes going down their body, like tattoos or body paint. They were even less clothed than the cyborg bodies they've been seeing, wearing only a red bikini that seemed to match the pattern of her skin. Her hair was silver, as if bleached white, and shaped in an over-sized bob. The mask they wore was unlike the small gas masks Stevonnie and the other bodies wore, it was large and tube shaped, with red horns coming off either end, looking like they were taken from an animal and glued onto it. They seemed distressed, but not because of the heavy gate which pinned them to the floor. They spoke lightning fast, almost stumbling over her words. "Hey, Um uh...Wanna give me some of those mushrooms?"

Stevonnie raised an eyebrow. A mushroom? "Like, one of those, uh, Yogashrooms? Or-"

"Yes yes yes a mushroom please?"

They blinked. A quick glance around showed no signs of a switch or lever to lift the gate. "Oh-okay! Okay I'll get you a mushroom, just stay-I mean just don't move! I'll be right back!" Stevonnie sprinted back to the rubble filled room, climbing onto the broken concrete to grab several stalks of these mushrooms. They stopped for a moment however, questioning how this would help. Maybe it will just make her feel better? She might be in a lot of pain, maybe this will take the edge off? That's enough reason for them. They'd grab a handful before hopping down and returning, crouching down and offering them to her. "I got some of th-"

They had no time to even explain, the woman quickly stealing them out of their hand, causing Stevonnie to yelp and back up slightly from the sudden movement. They watched as the woman proceeded to eat the mushrooms _through_ her mask, devouring them madly. She finished in record time, simply sitting still on the floor for a moment. Stevonnie looked at them concern and confusion, opening their mouth to ask if they were alright before the woman's head shot up suddenly. She braced her hands and feet on the ground and promptly arched her back, causing the gate to shoot up. She rose to her feet before it fell back down, catching it on her hands and shoulders before standing upright and flinging it up the rest of the way, lodging it into the ceiling and keeping it open. She promptly bent over, grasping her stomach and retching violently, vomiting through her mask and causing Stevonnie to avert their eyes. As soon as she finished, she spun and sprinted up the stairs passed the gate, cheering as she ran from sight. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Thank you kindred spirit!"

Stevonnie stood there, staring at the now open gate and the woman who vanished from view just as fast. They were flabbergasted, utterly bemused. Eventually they snorted, chuckling to themselves at the insane display. They almost forgot, this probably wasn't real, that sort of madness only solidifying their belief in this being a dream or something similar. Their giggle fit was interrupted by their speaker-bound friend. "Hey, Senpai! You're almost near the exit!"

A quick snap back to reality. Or, well, "reality." They'd have one more fight before being out of this, one more bloody conflict. They took a breath, they knew it was coming and what to expect. They could do this. The way was clear, stairs with rusted rails leading upwards.


	4. Wanna Try Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tutorial ends with a scripted death scene.

Stevonnie stood motionless as they looked down the corridor. At the end lie a large room, a scrap head of rusted train cars and construction equipment, old blood stains and molded bodies.

This was it. They weren't even told yet by Uncle Death, the sight was all they needed to see to know that this was the end. In front of them lie a bloody confrontation, with more of those molded monsters, more blood and violence.

"So I was going to say that up ahead's the final battle! But it seems you already figured it out! Good gamer sense there, Senpai!" Uncle Death spoke through their small speaker. He did promise to warn them of the incoming battle when it arrives, and he seemed to be a man dressed as a skeleton of his word. Stevonnie took a moment to sit down against the nearby wall.

"It's going to be bloody. I know. It's going to be gross, I know! I just need to go through with this. Once I've done this, I'm free! I can do this. I have you with me, I can do this together." Another glance at the room before returning their gaze to the floor. "This isn't real, anyway. It's not. It's a dream, or-or a simulation or something! I'm not killing anyone, It's just like fighting holo-pearls. Yeah, yeah just like that. I can do this."

They sighed, looking at the makeshift hammer they collected from the cells a few hallways ago. "I wish I had my sword. Or my shield. But I guess this will work? It's...Oh this will be so much worse than just punching them, but I have to! I just need to survive, I'll do this, just this once."

They stood, rolling their shoulders and hopping in place. "I can do this. I can do this! I'll beat these moldy bad guys, and then I'll be outta here!"

Their speaker spoke up. "Yeah-haha! That's the spirit, Senpai! Get hype!" Yeah! Yeah, they're fighters! They fight giant gem monsters! They can beat some fake zombie guys! A quick flourish of their makeshift hammer and they'd turn to face the room. They breathed, as much as they knew they had this, they needed to take it seriously. Real or not, they couldn't afford to lose. They breathed deep, lowering their heart rate, calming and grounding themselves. They had to be calm, prepared, and ready for anything. With one last huff of confidence, the held their hammer in their right hand at the ready as they slowly stepped into the room.

They approached slowly, hearing the quiet sound of bare feet on stone as they listened to the thump of their own heart. Soon they'd hear the hissing that the monster made before, slowing their approach further. It was then that they saw one, running past a ruined train car. It was the same as the first one they saw, unarmed and unclothed, only the same black undergarments. They defeated one of these before, bare handed! They could do this.

The monster spun around, not towards them back where it was running from. A great spear promptly rammed the monster through the gut. Stevonnie's heart sank as they observed, a second molded man approaching, running the spear through the other monster's stomach further and further until it came out of it's mouth through it's mask, blood spraying like mad around the spear. This second monster was not only armed, but armored, wearing a hard hat and welding mask, a thick leather apron covering their front, a belt of tools around their waist, heavy boots upon their legs. It's spear is what worried Stevonnie the most, it had a reach that they didn't, and it knew how to use it. It turned to face them, a red glint under it's mask as it locked eyes with them, before it began it's charge.

"Senpai, I can't wait to see your next battle..."

They heard Uncle Death's voice drift out as it charged, growling and gurgling, metallic echoes within it's mask. Stevonnie remembered their training, the many times they spared Holo-pearls, alongside the real Pearl, armed with spears. Reach is their advantage, but once up close, their weapon becomes their biggest weakness. They just need to get around it's weapon. Ready yourself. Wait for it to attack, then dodge to the side, then close the distance. Wait for it, wait, wait...!

Now!

The molded monster was within range, continuing it's run as it attempted to ram the spear through them, but they were prepared. As soon as it was within arms reach, Stevonnie used their palm to push the spear head to the side. The monster's momentum continued as it tried to stop running, Stevonnie rushing forward until they were a foot away, the sharpened spear head well out of reach now. They grabbed the monster's weapon, shoving against it as the monster tried to bash them away, to distance itself from them. They readied the hammer in their hand, promptly bashing the top of it against the monster's gut, causing it to double over. Blood dripped from it's mask, a red spot on it's apron as it stained the hammer with blood and mold.

It was too easy to gain the advantage. Stevonnie suspected something was amiss. They promptly looked behind them while the monster was reeling, and spotted a second. It was walking slowly, attempted to be silent, but halted when it was spotted. It was shirtless, broken LED and ports on it's chest, but it wore thick cargo pants and shoes, and was armed with a sword. No, not a sword, it was larger and cruder, like an over-sized meat cleaver. It's head twitched, growling as it ran to them. This wasn't good. Fighting this thing would be the opposite, they had to keep their distance or risk being mauled by it's crude blade. They turned back towards the spear wielding monster, shaking off it's daze from the earlier strike.

"Sorry, I need that spear!" Stevonnie reared their arm backwards, aiming for it's temple. The first monster was defeated with a square hit to the jaw, with the intention of knocking it out. They needed to ensure this thing would go down and stay down, and so aimed for a fatal strike. Despite their confidence, their steeled resolve, they couldn't help but close their eyes as the hammer connected. They felt little resistance as the hammer hit it's skull, a horrid crunching noise, alongside the sensation of blood spraying their hand. They felt it's grip going limp on it's spear, the body falling to the floor.

As they stood with their eyes glued shut, with nothing but the backs of their eyelids to keep them safe from the appalling sight, they could ever so quietly hear Uncle Death speak on their speaker, a simple comment on their kill. "Gore-Tastic!"

They had to open their eyes. They heard the other monster growl and get closer, they heard metal grind against stone, but they were terrified. They were afraid of seeing the body again, the thing they killed, the blood and gore. It's not real! It's not real, we have to open our eyes! No matter how gruesome it is, it's like a horror movie, or a scary game! It's not real, it's not real!

Their eyes bolted open as the remaining monster raised it's blade, blood soaked and chipped edge shimmering in the industrial lighting. They raised their hammer to block, the blade halting as metal hit metal, the blade gaining a new dent into it's edge as a result of it's collision. Stevonnie promptly raised a foot and kicked it in the stomach, the monster stumbling backwards and out of it's blade's reach. There was no other monsters, no more threats besides this one. Once this is done, they're done. They dropped their hammer and took the spear into both hands, aiming as the last monster stumbled and regained it's footing, before taking a step forward and thrusting the blade forward.

The spear's head hit true, point of the blade hitting the jugular, before continuing further through the monster's neck. By the time the resistance of skin and brittle bone was enough to halt their thrust, the head was almost entirely severed. They witness the start of blood gushing from it's neck, the force enough to push the head upwards and tear what skin remained, before they closed their eyes and averted their gaze, dropping the spear. They heard the spray of blood, the horrid blood-filled gurgles from the monster's dying throes, but they didn't watch. They stood and waited silently until the noises stopped entirely, until there was no more splashing of blood, no more sound of twitching flesh on concrete floors, until there was no more sound of metal on metal. They breathed raggedly, tearing up through closed eyes, giggling to themselves in relief.

"We did it. We won, we beat them! We don't have to fight these things anymore, we don't have to-"

_Click._

They opened their eyes. They heard something, before all was silent yet again. Their heart began to beat out of their chest, fluttering feelings of fear floating within their chest. They stood still, frozen, eyes and head jolting to look for the source of the noise.

_Click-chk!_

They looked dead ahead. That's where it came from, straight ahead. But all there was a solid wall of metal and wires. They looked up, spying a cat walk, but nobody on it. They were alone, weren't they? They had defeated all the monsters, right? They're going to get out of this place.

Something instinctual took over. Something told them to breath out, to close their eyes. Something told them to stay still, there was no running from what was coming.

They couldn't have seen it. The molded man upon the catwalks behind them, out of sight, lining up the sights of their rifle.

**_Bang._ **

They felt a force, a great feeling of pressure hit the back of their spine. There was no pain, only shock. They opened their eyes to witness the eruption of blood from their chest, the LED upon their body splitting in two, light sparks joining the spray of gore. They vomited, not bile but plasma, feeling hot fluid pour from their mouth and nose. Their mind couldn't fully grasp the situation. How could anyone? Their body erupting with the force of a fountain. They had no longer than a second to wonder what had happened before their eyes rolled back into their skull, consciousness leaving them as they bled out, collapsing onto the floor.

...

_Wanna try again?_

_Oh, wait, let me put the title logo up real quick._

_You know how these things go._


	5. Hated Arcade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Context, Grim Reapers, and Game Consoles.

Connie sleepily opened her eyes.

She was sitting upright in a small booth, soft if unclean fabric beneath her, vaguely sticky with sodas long since spilled. She lazily looked around, to the dull lighting and noises of an arcade, the overlapping cacophony of arcade cabinets playing their intros in attract mode. She grumbled, turning her head slightly to see Steven leaning his head against her shoulder, soft hair tickling her face. He wore one of his looks, a black t-shirt marked with a white star, brown leather jacket around him, long jeans and flip flops. A small smile as she watching him sleep, chest rising and falling. He is adorable, always was.

She saw the neon sign on the front of this small building. The "Hated Arcade." That's right, this was the new place that opened up in the city recently. Steven wanted to come here with her. They must have dozed off, maybe they had one too many slices of cheap pizza, or just tired themselves out on one of these games. Odd that nobody thought to wake them up. Well, there weren't many people here to wake them. There was one woman, a small name tag that read "Detox," Busily texting away on an old flip phone. Those old things got a lot more traction recently, much cheaper to make and even cheaper to sell, there was merit to getting them now. Another glance to her right saw two more people. One was a man with frizzy and curly hair, with a bandana and black cap, jean jacket accessorized with odd plastic shoulder pads and thick glasses. Connie didn't like to stereotype, but she'd be lying if she said he didn't look like the absolute biggest nerd she's seen in a good while. The other gentlemen was standing behind him, watching him play. He wore black pants and a large cloak, thick hood over his head. He was in costume, it seemed, dressed like some sort of grim reaper...

_Wanna try again?_

Connie shot up, eyes wide, heart racing. It all came back to her, the subway of bodies, the ruined tunnels, the molded monsters, the mushrooms, the blood...And that man. That man was there too.

She quickly looked and touched her collar bone, feeling the untouched skin, untouched by modification or LED. She felt her shoulders then, the smooth skin with faint scarring, but from battles with gem monsters, not from any ports or wires. She sighed in relief, hand going to her stomach, before she suddenly remembered.

"Steven!"

She turned to face him. He was still asleep, leaning against her. She looked at his stomach, seeing the bump and faint pink glow from his gem. A sigh of relief. He was the same as he was too. She gently shook his shoulder, trying to jostle him awake.

"Steven! Steven, wake up!"

He'd blink and gently pat Connie's hand, as if not wanting to be disturbed. He looked up at her and smiled. "Mmmmorning, Connie." He'd smile sweetly at her, but just as quickly it faded. He could see the concern in her features, something was wrong. He wiped his eyes and sat up, looking around the arcade. "Did I fall asleep?"

"We both did, but that's not important! Steven, remember what we just did?"

"Uhm..." His mind was muddled with the wash of sleep. "We wanted to take a day off and visit the newest arcade in town, and we uh..."

He seemed lost then. Connie looked at him with a fierceness in her eyes. "Remember the subway?"

"Subway? We didn't ride a..." His eyes suddenly went wide, recognition returning. He jolted, a small squeak as he promptly lifted his shirt and felt his gem. He was hyperventilating, causing Connie to hold his shoulders. "Steven! Steven, deep breaths, we're alright! You're okay. We're safe!"

He took a few shuddering breaths, wiping his eyes from the tears that were forming, but soon he re-composed himself. "So we're...We got out, right? But didn't we-"

"Ah, Finally waking up?" The two jumped in their seats, turning to face the familiar voice. Same goofy get up, same odd accent, same skull costume. The only difference was he was missing his scythe and skateboard, and his glasses were replaced, now black shades with yellow X's on them. "You two seemed sleepy, so I turned it off!" Uncle Death had re-approached the booth they were sitting in, pulling up a stool and sitting across from them, arms on the table.

Connie just looked at the man, eyes looking between him and Steven, trying to connect the events she remembered. It was Steven that spoke. "Um...Turned what off?"

His expression remained hidden, but his body language told all there was to see, moving a hand to his ear as he heard the question. "What? I'm talkin about the Death Drive 128 of course, Man! You were just playing it, remember? Hey, Pretty cool, Huh? Pretty Badass?"

Connie turned to face Uncle Death. "Wait, all that was...a game? On this...Death drive-?"

"Wait, wait a minute Connie, we came in here to play some new weird game, remember?" Steven was holding her shoulder, his own memory being jogged slightly before hers. "We heard about this new arcade and how it had that new console in it?"

"Yeah man, he gets it!" Uncle Death pointed towards Steven as he explained. "You probably saw the commercials! Maybe the posters around town? It's the best game console ever!" He reached under the table, pulling out a cardboard cover, not unlike those used to hold a Vinyl Record, though rather than a disk, it held a small chip on the front. "And this game, "LET IT DIE!" It's probably the greatest game ever made!" He spoke as he removed the chip, drawing attention to the small object on the table with them. It was made of three panes of wired glass, tiered from biggest to smallest like a pyramid, a small section sticking out to allow him to insert the chip.

Connie just looked at the strange console with doubt, but as she watched him insert the chip, she seemed to accept what was being told. "So it wasn't any sort of dream, it was a video game? That...explains the blood, how there was so much and it sprayed everywhere."

Steven added in. "And the mushrooms! How they all changed colors like that!"

"And the weird cyborg bodies!"

"And the creepy moldy zombies!"

Uncle Death was nodding along to their comments. "Yeah yeah! It's pretty killer, it has this real punk aesthetic to it! It's real fun too, like a hack-and-slash rogue-like kind of thing! WATAAACHINCHAAAHA!" He made the high pitched noise while mimicking swinging a weapon with his arms, the act causing Steven and Connie to lean backwards in their booth seats, but Steven couldn't help but smile at his antics.

Connie was watching his explanation with deadly curiosity. His explanation of the game's mechanics did little to answer her questions, like the bodies, or the monsters. "Wait, so what's this game even about then?"

"Oh! The goal of the game is really simple! Just make it to the top of the Tower of Barbs!"

Steven looked at him with wide eyes, a hint of worry in his face. Connie took the words out of his mouth, however. "Someone made a game based on the _Tower of Barbs_?!"

Uncle Death waved a hand dismissively. "Well yeah! I mean, come on, man! A big, mysterious, dangerous tower? A treasure at the top? That story writes itself, man! Honestly, I'm surprised someone didn't make a game on it sooner!"

Steven hissed through his teeth slightly, especially when he saw Connie staring at the strange console, a look in her eyes that he recognized: an undying curiosity. Ever since the tales of the Tower of Barbs reached her, she's always displayed such an interest in it, especially since despite being with the gems she could never actually approach it. To be given a game based on it may not be the best for her, Steven thought.

Uncle Death promptly knocked him out of his thoughts however. "Hey, you two are gamers, right? You certainly got that fighting edge to you! You'll do just fine! So what do you say, Want to try it out?"

Steven and Connie looked at each other. Despite Connie's curiosity, they both shared the same tired look. They're exhausted.

Uncle Death gave the two of them a small wave of the hand."Hey, No worries then Senpais! This thing's sticking around, just visit another time! This thing's a part of the arcade, it's not going anywhere!"

They both sighed at the same time, Steven sinking into the booth chair for a moment. He looked up at the arcade window outside, to the dark night time sky and the city skylights. "Connie, I think we've been here for several hours. Your parents might be worried about you! We should probably head home." Connie opened her phone, an old one with it's nice touch screen, but cracked and chipped in the corner. He was right, several missed messages. She could tell they were about 2 more messages away from growing extremely concerned and probably starting a manhunt. She began to text back as she got up off the booth chair, Steven joining her and standing with her. He was a full head above her, smiling at her as they held hands.

Connie scratched her head, feeling awkward doing this in front of the odd stranger. "I'll uh...We may be back another time, maybe?" This caused Uncle Death to shoot two thumbs up. "Yeah, you two have a badass night! I'll be waiting for you, Senpais!"

Steven smiled a bit before adding. "Language."

"Sorry, sorry. Later, man!"

Steven waved his hand, Connie awkwardly doing the same, as they both scooted out of the booth. The woman behind the counter looked up from her phone, giving them goodbyes as well. "Later, see you, like, next time." Polite waves from the couple, it was her job to be nice to visitors, after all.

They both laced their fingers together as they entered the street.

...

Uncle Death watched as they walked out of view. He gently scratched the bone above his nose, chuckling as he wondered how well they'd climb the tower. "Heheh, I think I got another one hooked! Oh hoh yeah, things are just getting _started_!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how I did so far! I'm still quite new to this and appreciate any feedback. I'll have up the next chapters soon, including original world building!


	6. The Night is So Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie walk to their homes.

Old Line City. Once, a simple place, known for it's jewelry exports, now well known as one of the cities that mostly survived the "EARTH RAGE" Tectonic Disturbance while remaining intact. It's high rises and skylights pour into the cloudy night sky, the city's bright sights showing life and activity where the streets and lamp posts fail to illuminate. Steven and Connie were walking down the sidewalk near the empty roads, closed convenience stores and flickering signs lighting the way in bleached yellows and neon blues. The cold late autumn air had a bite to it at night, Steven staying close to Connie for warmth and comfort, fingers locked together, small smiles on them both mingled with an air of uncertainty.

"Steven, Are you alright?" He winced at the question. He knew she'd feel it, his disquiet. He tried to hide it as well as he could so as to not worry her, but it seemed she had other plans.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little...shaken."

"By that game, right?" Right to the point.

"Yeah, by the game." He looked away, embarrassment in his features. It was a game! He felt like a child, scared by a movie monster.

Connie smiled sadly at him, for a moment making him even more anxious. "I am too." She quietly admitted. "It was so real. It was almost like your old room."

Relief spread across his features. Thank goodness, he wasn't the only one. Still, he was filled with unease "We didn't even know it was a game until after we um...Got a game over?"

"We died." Hearing her say such a thing made his heart sink into his stomach. "Even then it felt real. Steven, I know you. You don't take well to violence, You hated any horror movies that have blood in it! And what we did was violent."

"Really violent...Too violent to be real-"

"Steven, stop. We were Stevonnie, I felt the same way you did then! It doesn't matter if it was more violent than reality or if we found out it was a game afterwards, it still scared us!" A small shiver and holding her arm. "It still hurt us. It's okay to be scared or hurt because of a game. I am too."

Steven would look at the sidewalk for a moment, before sniffling, using his other hand to wipe his eyes. "It was so scary...!" Connie leaned up against his chest as he leaned on her head, accepting her comfort and hugging her. He began to gently weep for a moment, to finally use the safety of reality and the comfort of Connie to let his feelings out. "I-i was afraid we'd be stuck fused, or would lose to those monsters, I thought...I knew we said it was fake but I wasn't sure. I was so worried it was real."

"It's okay. It's alright." She spoke quietly as she comforted him, halting their walk to remain close. A small benefit to the roads being so dead, there was less social pressure, less need to prevent a scene. They may have been two people across the street total, they were able to stay with each other with no further worries. Though she didn't say it, she needed this moment of calm as well. She was no less shocked than he was, thought at more than just the violence of it all. Her body, their body as Stevonnie, was not their own. It was fake and altered, modified with wires and lights. She nuzzled against his chest and cried a few of her own tears, her own fears of that place weighing her down.

They stood together in calm silence. Steven had stopped crying before Connie did, and would gently pet her hair as she stained his shirt with tears. No matter how terrifying the world was, through something as immaterial as a scary game, to great world shaking events, they always were there for each other, a constant pillar in their lives as gem and knight.

They didn't know how long they stood together, but they knew they started walking after a while, as the night got a little darker and the city lights dimmed. Although happy in silence, questions burned in Connie's mind. It was a game, but that doesn't explain some of the things that occurred.

"Um." Steven was the one to break the silence. "I'm not...I'm okay with talking about it, y'know. Scary as it was, it was also really weird, and interesting in places. Like those-" He paused, stifling a laugh. "Those _yogashrooms_."

Oh thank god she can talk about it. The mention of those bizarre mushrooms made her giggle, but she had more serious questions. "Those were pretty funny, in retrospect. But I've been thinking...How did we fuse?"

Connie watched as his jovial expression turned to deep thought, and then confusion. "What do you mean?"

"In the game, we were Stevonnie! We were fused! But we never fused before we started, and when we woke up afterwards, we were still apart. So how were we Stevonnie in the game?"

His eyes began to light with recognition. "Yeah, you're right! We never did fuse!"

 

"So how did the game have us fuse together? Even with such a real simulation, that doesn't explain how it knows your gem magic!"

"Well...We didn't have the gem magic in the game, but that makes this whole thing even weirder." A shake of the head and a shiver down his spine. "You're not...planning on playing it again, are you?"

Connie frowned. "I kind of was, actually..." Her voice tapered off. It was terrifying, disgusting and disturbing, but knowing now that it was fiction...it interested her. Fictional gore never bothered her much, she was able to disconnect it from reality easily. Which meant what the game was to her was a very realistic simulation of the Tower of Barbs, of that strange and fascinating place. She braced for a harsher statement, but was relieved when his voice wasn't upset, just tired.

"I sort of figured. Monsters to fight, lots of weird mysterious things, it sort of seemed up your alley. And it takes place on the Tower of Barbs. Well, I guess it's the next best thing to visiting the real thing, huh?" He said with a shrug and a half smile.

Oh thank god, she sighed in relief. Maybe she can figure out some of the weirder things they saw now.

"But only if you let me play with you." He added.

Connie halted in her steps, flabbergasted. "What?!" She broke their grip, stepping away from him for a moment simply to better look at him as she asked. "But you hate that sort of violence! We grew ill when we didn't know it was a game! Steven, I don't want to make you uncomfortable just to keep me company."

Steven in return seemed shocked by her confusion. He however smiled afterwards, the same small and knowing smile he made when he knew what he was doing. Connie sometimes wished there was a hint of smugness to him when he knew he was in the right, but there never was. "Connie, it's not about keeping you company, it's about fighting with you. Sure, it's a game, but it's super realistic and filled with monsters. I'm not just about to let you go fighting them all by yourself! We'll take them on together."

She raised a hand as if to retort, but it faltered just as fast. After a second of thought, she relented, looking at the sidewalk and feeling dumb for assuming she'd be playing it alone. Didn't take long before she looked back up at him. His big happy smile, genuine and full of love. She huffed, taking slight charge of this new joint effort. "The first thing we're doing when we play again is asking him how to quit the game!"

"Got it!"

"And if at any point you want to stop playing, we will!"

"Will do!"

"And you don't try to push yourself for my sake!"

"Obviously!"

A sigh then. Making sure he was comfortable with whatever else that game has in store was more important than her curiosity. She got right back next to him, holding a hand out. "Jam buds?"

He just as quickly re-took it, linking their fingers together once more. "Jam buds."

* * *

They parted ways several minutes later, a kiss and a wave goodbye as they went to their homes. As he watched Connie turn a corner and vanish from view, he leaned against the brickwall of the high rise apartment building, taking a moment to enjoy the starless cloudy sky and his own cold breath.

He wished he could see the stars. Maybe he could see Homeworld. That place he feared seemed so truly distant now, years without even a hint of activity. No Homeworld ships visiting, no gems trying to steal people or kill him, no Diamonds looking for their cluster. He wondered at times if they caused the Earth Rage event, but something in his gut told him they didn't. If they wanted to utterly destroy the world, why give it a chance to recover?

He blinked away sleep. It was late. He should be thinking these thoughts in bed, not against a brick wall. He turned to enter the building, grabbing the cold metal handle that sent shivers down his arm.

He never took elevators much anymore. Ever since the one he tried to ride last year that nearly decapitated him, he never wanted to risk such a thing again. Yes, he knew Garnet was there, Yes she had been prepared to brace the elevator and stop that outcome. Didn't make it any less terrifying. He'll be taking the stairs.

Eighth floor.

Room 815.

He locked the door behind him, removing his jacket and hanging it up by the door. A flick of the lights to see that everything was exactly how he left it. Long were the days where he tried and failed to make the apartment similar to the beach house, an effort that left him tired and depressed. Now he was going for his own look. Album covers from various bands on the walls, including some from his father's work, alongside many small glow in the dark stars plastering the walls and ceiling. Shelves containing souvenirs and knick-knacks, small items of value and attachment, from old toys to small items he kept when he went with the gems to provide relief. From small scraps of posters in foreign languages to crumpled road signs to more personal items such as toys and pictures given to him by some of the people he's helped.

It wasn't much longer before he retired to bed, lying on the soft bed and fuzzy blanket, turning to trace the patterns of pink clouds painted onto the walls. His mind muddled in the late hours, half dream, half lucid thought, as his mind wandered.

Relief efforts. They were planning on visiting a ways off of Germany on the Northern mass, right? Yeah. Amethyst will eat lots. Pearl will like the views. They'll help a lot of people.

He'll play that game again. _Let It Die_. Why is it called that? Eh, whatever. It had some funny mushrooms.

His last thoughts were on Connie standing victorious on the peak of the Tower of Barbs before he drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, original content and world building. Now I feel like I'm getting a better feel for this.


	7. Mother Barbs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie return to the Arcade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All dialogue from Mother Barbs (A sort of psuedo-character) is an almost exact quote from the game itself.

* * *

**-MOTHER BARBS : THE TOWER OF BARBS-**

 

_Thank you for listening to this voice guidance system._

_Let us embark on a journey of discovery about the many wonders of the Tower of Barbs._

_The Tower of Barbs is located on the tiny 3.7 square mile island of South Tokyo. Legend has it, that this island was formed during the "Earth Rage" Tectonic Disturbance of 2026._

_The tower stands at 1,686 feet, 514 meters, the equivalent of a 30 story building, with super high ceilings. Many say the tower is actually growing with each passing year._

_Legend has it, that a great treasure lies at the top of the tower. As such, many brave people often attempt to climb the tower to obtain those riches. However, none of managed to survive the Tower's horrific trials. And thus, the tower stands as a grim reminder of the many lives lost in search of this mythical treasure._

_I hope that you, too, will enjoy your climb of the tower, and experience the many wonders that it has to offer._

 

* * *

 It was early morning when Steven arrived at the arcade, metal door handle biting his hand in the cold. It had been three days since the first time they had played _Let It Die_ , and today was the date they had agreed to try again. They were both free, both well rested, and both mentally prepared.

Well, Connie was well rested at least. He hoped. He admittedly had some nightmares. The last thing he equates with a good night sleep is dreaming of seeing Sadie all molded up like that. He shook off those less than fun images, he had to focus. He'll be with Connie, and they can do this together! And the moment it's too much for him, they can quit early. This isn't a scary nightmare, this is now just an attempt at playing a scary game.

 The Hated Arcade was exactly as before, blue dark lights illuminating the tacky 80's carpet and making the various arcade cabinet screens glare into the low light room. It was almost just as empty too, only two other patrons present, crowding around a 'Concrete Jackals' fighting game. The only others inside where those he saw before.

Something stuck out that he thought was new, or at the very least he somehow missed before. It was tucked against the back of the arcade, between a cabinet and the counter, a towering machine that was clearly modeled after the Tower of Barbs. It's top was made of old scratched plastic, roughed and modeled to look like the grey skyscrapers and buildings that made up the tower, with a cloud above it and several lightning bolts flickering with neon light. Upon this model cloud were the words "MOTHER BARBS." The machine this model sat atop of was much simpler in make, a metal cabinet of aged beige color, a glass case showing VHS tapes on a belt, one currently slotted into the front. It resembled a jukebox, in an odd way, except for one key difference: It had a small CRT monitor attached to the front, playing visuals aside the audio, though from what he could see, the visuals were incredibly hard to follow, a mad flow of blacks, whites, reds, and blues.

Connie was standing in front of the machine, tilting her head to look at the small monitor, eyes squinting at the nearly indecipherable visuals. It was clear she was more intently listening to the audio, calmly spoken dialogue playing over any music that may have been inside the tapes.

"... _at 1,686 feet, 514 meters, the equivalent of a 30 story building, with super high ceilings. Many say..._ " Seemed it was talking about the Tower. Considering the machine's appearance and name, he wasn't terribly surprised. Steven began to walk towards her when he was interrupted.

"Hm? Oh, Hii, Welcome to the Hated Arcade." He turned to face the counter where he heard the voice. Behind it was only employee he'd seen working here, the young Asian woman who's name tag read "Detox." She was texting away on her phone, it alongside her jacket a mixture of pastel pinks and blues, her otherwise reddish-brown hair highlighted with the same shade of pink. She continued speaking, but it was with a drawl, a canned statement she was clearly being paid to say. "The Hated Arcade is proud to announce their partnership with the Yotsuyama corporation and host their newest game console, the Death Drive 128, featuring the award winning _Let It Die_ which you can play ~right here, right now~, ugh..." She tapered off before returning her attention to her phone.

Well she seemed unenthused. But she also knew about the game, apparently. "Thank you! Can I ask some questions about this game? I-"

She let off a deep, very obvious, and very annoyed sigh. "Fiiine. But, like, I can't really tell you that much anyway. I don't _know_ games, they're all emo anyway. And like, stupid." She didn't look away from her phone as she answered.

Steven gave a small look of confusion at her intonation, but otherwise continued. "Well, Is that "Mother Barbs" thing related to it?"

"Seriously? Like, duh. Those Yotsuyama creeps wheeled it in here. It's vintage or whatever."

Okay, now her attitude was quickly growing annoying. "Alright, Thank you. Have a nice day!"

"It's been awful, Thanks. Welcome. Bye." She returned her attention entirely to her phone. Steven just turned to get Connie before he grew even more frustrated. It's alright to not like work but jeez! She was just rude!

By the time that little confrontation was over, he found Connie finished listening to the recording on the Mother Barbs machine. She was now fiddling with the buttons on the front, yet no further tapes were being played.

"Connie?"

"Yeep!" She jumped slightly at his voice, small noise of shock escaping her. She was clearly focused on the machine when Steven made his presence known. When she turned to face him and saw him with the biggest, most entertained smile on his face, she blushed and narrowed her brows at him. "Hi Steven! Glad to see you!"

"Glad to see you too!" He stifled a small giggle. "That noise was really cute-"

"I know, Steven!" She crossed her arms and huffed, embarrassed. Luckily for her, his attention was drawn to the machine.

"So what's this thing, exactly? I thought it was like a jukebox, but I thought I just heard it talking?"

"Oh! Yeah, apparently it talks about the Tower inside the game! But I can only make it play the first one for some reason? Come here, look."

He stepped up, intentionally bumping shoulders with her to stay close as she pointed and explained.

"It is sort of like a jukebox, you just hit the button and it plays that song, or dialogue for this thing. But the other buttons don't work for some reason. Look-" She began to hit the other buttons, options labeled "COEN", "MUSHROOMS", and "LIVING DEAD" with no luck. "I thought maybe it's like a code or something? So I was trying to type them in sequence, but I don't think it's doing anything..."

"Hey hey, It's my two favorite gamers!" That was a familiar voice. The two turned around to see Uncle Death, same black cloak and halloween outfit as before. The only difference were his glasses once again as they were now stereoscopic, one lens red while the other was blue. "You two come back for round two, Eh? Ready to try again?"

Connie turned to look at Steven. She expected nervousness, but he seemed quite the opposite. He was smiling, relaxed and ready. Was he just putting up a front for her sake? Or was he actually willing and ready to go? Well if he's entering the game with her, then what matters most right now is making sure that he's safe. "Uncle Death, we do want to enter the game again-"

"Ahalright! Yeah! Senpai's back and ready for the Tower!"

"But! You need to tell us how to exit the game first!"

Uncle Death tilted his head, but just as quickly leaned back. "Ooh, Why didn't you say so? It's easy! There's a spot to exit out of right near the entrance. Now that you're all done with the tutorial, you can access the main hub-!"

"Wait." Steven lifted a hand to make the skull wearing man pause. "That was just a tutorial?"

"Well yeah! I mean, it had a basic starter enemy, it explained the mechanics with the mushrooms and weapons, showed you some of the tougher enemies you'd have to face later on, and then ended with a scripted death sequence. Classic tutorial material, huh? And now that it's all done, the real game begins. I'm talking loads of baddies, and unrestricted access to the Tower of Barbs! And you two make one hell of a team! I believe you two can battle it out to the top!"

Steven bit his lip. All of that was just...training wheels. A taste test. For something that gave him nightmares to be made so small is...

He turned to look at Connie. She was looking at the tacky carpet, deep in thought, but with a clear sadness to her eyes. Doubt? Reluctance?

"Connie?"

She blinked and turned to face him. "Steven, you really don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know that, right?"

"Connie, I'm doing this. I know how much you want to see the Tower, even in a game, and I know you! You'd just play by yourself. I'd rather be with you. We're jam buds, remember?"

She looked back at the floor for a moment longer before nodding her head with a smile. "Jam Buds."

"Aaww, You two are adorable! Cute in the arcade, a badass power couple in the tower! Come on! Let's go to the booth, I'll set up the game!" Uncle death promptly spun on his heel before frolicking to the booth, a display that caused the both of them to chuckle despite his interruption.

They held hands again, looking at one another with a determined nod. Steven held his arm to his side as if armed with his shield. Connie tightened her fist as if holding the handle of a sword. They were ready to fight. They were ready to battle to the top.


	8. Waiting Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie returns to the Tower of Barbs.

* * *

**-MOTHER BARBS : MUSHROOM-**

 

_One of the many attractions within the Tower of Barbs is that several different types of Mushrooms can be found within it's walls._

_There are over 40 different types of mushrooms and growing waiting to be discovered by adventurous mushroom hunters in the Tower._

_Some of the mushrooms spray harmful spores in excess of LC50, of which a single breath causes the lungs to rot, and in some cases, immediate death. Others are known for causing strong hallucinogenic effects, lethargy, palsy, and combustion._

_Therefore, residents of the Tower of Barbs all wear masks to protect themselves from accidental inhalation of the deadly spores._

_A vital skill of anyone in the Tower is the ability to accurately identify mushrooms. The failure to do so can be the difference between Life and Death._

* * *

Steven and Connie sat together in the booth of the Hated Arcade, side by side, hands intertwined. Steven's gaze wandered as they waited, down to the table in the booth, watching pixels of some top down shooter flash by the glass case. He only lingered for a moment before he went to the TV, watching what looked like some sort of game tournament being streamed. A pro gamer he is not, so he's unfamiliar with exactly he was seeing. Still, lots of flashing colors.

Connie meanwhile stared straight ahead of her with laser focus, at the skull-clad man fiddling with the strange game console known as the Death Drive. She refused to be distracted from the game, from re-entering that place anything less than prepared.

Steven's attention was caught once he saw Uncle Death remove the game's cover, LET IT DIE covering the front. All of this they've seen before as he slid the comparatively tiny chip into the console, sliding inside with a small click.

Uncle Death began to shake and nod his head in apparent excitement. "Ready to go?" Steven and Connie looked at one another. Anxiety and fear mingled between them, but despite it all, through either curiosity or cooperation, they both nodded.

"Then let's get _Started!_ " The two watched as he reached under the table, pulling out the last piece to the console. A...dung beetle? Connie leaned her head back at the sight of it while Steven leaned forward, trying to get a better look at it. Yeah, it was a dung beetle, but was incandescent! It could be mistaken for a scarab at a glance! They watched in morbid fascination as Uncle Death placed the insect on top of the console, it crawling to the center as he hit the start button. A small beep before the beetle tilted upright, a small bead of light between its front legs that quickly shot forward, a holographic screen projecting in front of the two. Both Steven and Connie yelped and leaned back as the screen of light formed in front of them, Connie looking at the beetle with utter confusion.

Without contest, that was the strangest way to start up such a game they had ever seen.

The screen flickered, colors and patterns flashing too fast to register before a logo appeared, two stylized 'D's that overlapped one another, as the console name was read out: Death Drive 128.

They watched as the screen flashed, lightning striking the logo for the game as retro sounds and pixel art was displayed. They held hands tightly once more, both shaking from nerves as they saw the title display itself, showing a man atop a pile of corpses. They knew they were about to re-enter the tower, but they also knew they were safe this time. No matter what happens, they were safe here, and more importantly, they had each other.

 

* * *

**LET IT DIE**

**Press Start**

* * *

 

Electricity coursed through their spine, awaking Stevonnie with a jolt. Their vision was blurry and mind swimming...This was as before. They rubbed their eyes and took a moment to remain seated where they awoke, taking some breaths to calm themselves before they tried standing up. As their eyes adjusted, they found themselves back on the subway train, filled with the stiff and inactive bodies, wires and LED lights added onto them. Stevonnie looked down at themselves, seeing the same strip of flesh missing from their chest, feeling the same weight of the cables in their back.

"I'm back in the Tower." They leaned forward, the cables easily slipping out of their shoulders as they rested their elbows on their knees. As the train rattled around them, they gently inspected themselves further, pinching scarred flesh, prodding at the metallic ports on their arms and legs, tracing fingers around the strip of lights within their chest. It felt real, it was real the first time they experienced this, but feeling it now with the safety net of reality made them more pensive then scared.

They only had a moment to their thoughts before the train screeched to a halt as it did before. Line 15, Last Stop: The Tower of Barbs. They'd stand, feeling the remaining wires on their back disconnect without issue and fall to the chair.

The station was unchanged, as spotless and polished as before. The only difference now was the silence. Stevonnie felt the emptiness ring in their ears, looking around to try and find why it felt so desolate this time. It was Uncle Death. He's absent, physically at least. They were by themselves now as they entered the treacherous and venomous tower.

Stevonnie held their own hands. They knew they weren't really alone, but the quiet unnerved them, and the closeness they felt from their components was very different from the presence of another person. They huffed, steeling themselves as they took to the stairs from before. The service passage was now gone, sealed away behind a polished marble wall, but now the shutter gate that once prevented them from proceeding the way of the station's path had risen. The pathway began to degrade quickly, smooth and polished stone replaced with dirty, chipped tile, the hallways falling into disrepair. Seemed the shiny station was a facade, for the most part.

A small antechamber to the central room showed a second stairwell to what Stevonnie believed to be another station, but the passageway was shuttered off as before, blocked and locked away. A rather disturbing statue stood before them, a head on a pedestal, eyes bulging out of their skull and in an expression of extreme distress. Stevonnie jumped slightly at seeing it, before getting a closer look. It was...quite funny, actually. It's eyes look almost cartoony, its features exaggerated. Stevonnie promptly attempted to copy the expression, the attempt straining their face and causing them to break down into giggles.

Focus, Stevonnie. They turned to face the round metal door opposing the statue, a large stylized log bearing the initials TDM. Tower of...Death...Match? Probably not. They could guess all day, or they could see what was even beyond the door. They decided on the ladder, the door automatically sliding open.

The room before them was massive plaza, circular in shape and long since ruined. The stone floors were littered with rubble from the halfway collapsed rooftop, metal framework of a once beautiful domed ceiling collapsed downwards, a few loose cables swaying in the slightest of breezes. Four massive pillars erupted from the ground and supported what remained of the roof, while great white banners bearing a strange red and white logo fluttered. Within the center of this great hall lie a fountain, still operating and cleared of any rubble, the smooth stained stone having a small stairwell to stand on the center. A great archway lead past the waiting room, illuminated sign reading "HELLO" and pointing down into the arch, however the 'O' of the sign had seemingly long since burned out, giving a very different message as it directed visitors forward. Just past the sign was an escalator, though beyond it Stevonnie could not see.

Despite it's poor condition, the room was a pleasant surprise. Sunlight streamed through the ruined rooftop structure and illuminated the fountain water. Stevonnie was only a few steps into the room when they halted, the glare of the makeshift skylight passing to find themselves observed. This wasn't some long abandoned and desolate ruin, this was a place of commerce. There were other people present, as few in number as they were.

There were two people present alongside Stevonnie within the waiting room. One they recognized immediately, her oversized bob haircut and striped body paint being unmistakable. This woman was the one that was trapped under that iron gate before she consumed a mushroom and performed a frankly staggering feat of strength in escaping. She was standing within a small booth entirely themed around mushrooms. Above it lie a large decorative mushroom cap, Japanese letters exploding off of it while window shutters decorated with small cuts of cooked mushrooms. Within the booth, the woman was standing near a crooked umbrella, leaning off of it slightly as she tilted her head at the intruder, eyes sunken into her skull as she stared at Stevonnie.

The other individual somehow looked even more odd compared to the mushroom obsessed magistrate, a rather tall man sitting inside of a store booth that looks more like an improvised workshop than anything else. Rather than a form fitting mask, his entire head was covered by a glass dome with a hose running down the front filtering the air of the tower. Above the glass dome sat a rather out of place graduation cap, while below it was even stranger, the older gentlemen having a smaller black bob cut alongside a toothbrush mustache and round spectacles. He was in the midst of sketching something onto a notepad before his gaze looked up at the newest guest of the Tower, expression blank and eyes hidden.

Stevonnie was prepared for monsters, exaggerated blood, and brutal weaponry. They were not prepared for other people within the tower and took an awkward step back at their collective gaze. They felt exposed, more defenseless to their judgement than they ever would be to a monster's attacks. Luckily they both lost their interest in them just as fast, the woman spinning and kneeling over some sort of pot in her booth while the man returned to rather violently sketching on his pad. A sigh of relief at feeling their stares removed from them, Stevonnie proceeded towards the fountain in the center of the plaza.

"Senpai!" The sudden voice caused them to jump, looking down at the small speaker on their top once again. They had forgotten that was there, and Uncle Death's voice brought them back at the edge of panic for a second.

"Death! A little more warning next time!" They huffed, before looking up and seeing the two residents of the tower looking back at them again, the sudden noise catching their attention. Stevonnie's voice dropped to try and drop their attention. "What is it?"

"Well, you wanted to know how to quit, right? Well that fountain there is called the Vanishing Point! If you just step on the center and wish to quit, you'll exit the game! Just make it known you're done, click your heels and say there's no place like that badass arcade! Something like that."

They returned their gaze to the fountain. It's that easy? "We're going to try right now then. I only agreed to play again if I could quit when I wanted." They'd step upon the Vanishing Point fountain, a strange feeling of calm immediately washing over them. Was it the feeling of the water slick tile? Some game mechanic thing? As they stood in the center of the fountain they noticed the plaza around them seemed oddly vague in detail, blurry and unfocused. They closed their eyes to focus instead of their wish to leave the tower for a moment.

* * *

Steven and Connie promptly opened their eyes inside the Hated Arcade. They were seated in the same booth, same ever so slightly sticky tacky upholstery beneath them. They mimicked each other's movements for a few seconds before they felt the tug of their interlocked fingers between them. They had gone from fused in game to separated in reality seamlessly, something their minds had to take a minute to register. The holographic screen of the game console still floated in front of them showing the wrecked plaza from atop the fountain, the last thing they saw before exiting the game. Uncle Death was still sitting across from them before leaning to the side of the screen.

"There you go! Welcome back to reality, my jammin Senpais!" He announced their return with a flourish of his arms. Steven looked to himself, his free hand and the slight bump in his shirt where his gem lay, smiling at being back in reality. Connie however slumped in her seat, sighing in relief. Strange eyes on her made her more anxious than any combat situation, and being away from it even for a moment was an absolute godsend.

"So, whenever we want to quit, we just go to this fountain?" Steven had inquired.

"Well, if you want to quit without dying, anyway."

A paused. Steven and Connie both stared at him in mild horror.

"...In the game! In the game, what did you think I meant? This isn't some B-tier horror movie, It's a roguelike!" They had both sighed in relief then. "You can totally quit whenever, but if you do that off that fountain, you die in the game and have to start over. If you're going to die, might as well go out like a fucking sick warrior, right? Surrounded by enemies and taking as many down with you as you can!"

"Language." Steven once more spoke with a roll of his eyes.

"Sorry! Again! Anyway, now you two know how to quit whenever you want! I know how some gamers are, a little too much hyper violence and suddenly it's queezy fest population one sad senpai! So, you ready to play now?" He'd shake his hands, gently tapping his knuckles together. "Oohh I'm so excited to see you climb the tower for real!"

* * *

Stevonnie blinked as they felt fountain water gently spraying their feet and legs. Back in the game, back in the tower. They stood tall and smiled, a newfound confidence within their bosom. Should the sights be too gruesome, the challenges too rough, they knew they could stop and leave. Steven felt safe, Connie felt relieved, and Stevonnie felts prepared.

The two residents of the waiting room were staring at them again, however. Stevonnie's puffed chest posture suddenly stiffened as cold sweat fell down their brow. They didn't need this attention right now, not from these two strange individuals. They walked quickly ahead past the two booths and through the archway, keeping their head down and their eyes forward to avoid their gaze as much as possible. They relaxed when they were out of sight, now looking ahead towards the entrance of the tower proper.

To either side of Stevonnie were elevators. The one to their left was covered by a drawn steel gate, looking more like a service elevator for some industrial structure than anything they should be tampering with. The one on the right meanwhile was gaudy beyond belief, seemingly made of solid gold and glistening in the light, sealed tightly from the inside. Despite their looks, they were both sealed away, lights off and inactive. Instead Stevonnie turned their sights forward towards an escalator that extended far beyond normal stairs. It hovered over a great gap between the waiting room and the tower itself, and vanished inside a great circular cavern. Ever so gently they saw the letters of a sign glowing from within the dark tunnel, reading "Ikegara."

The very same place they died the first time within the tower. They gently touched their chest, where they were shot through that fated, "scripted" death. It was so fast and sudden as to be painless, but the image haunted them regardless. A deep breath and a huff, tightening their fists. They were determined not to go down so easily this time, they would make sure of it.

"Alright Tower of Barbs! Here I come!"


	9. Hater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stevonnie reflects on their past self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of the chapters will have specific lengths in mind, so some will be shorter than others. I will likely write a few mini chapters as well, for some of the smaller things.  
> Again, Mother Barb's Dialogue is taken directly from the game itself.

Stevonnie stood gazing at the truly massive metal gate that lie before them. At the very peak of the escalator they found the way forward was seemingly entirely blocked off as dozens of hydraulic locks held the door forward closed. Tens of wires spread all over the metal floor and walls, all leading from the gate to a single massive valve in front of them.

They looked at this valve, massive and stiff, but with a peculiar symbol on the front. It was a white symbol depicting what seemed liked stylized mountains with a ring over a red backdrop. Within the back of their mind, the could have sworn they saw the logo before, yet nothing sprung to mind. These gates seemed as though they could survive a bomb, so they must have been put here for a reason, but this is the only way forward. Stevonnie had had enough drama, their components had spent enough time toiling and debating on re-entering the tower to let some gate ward them off. No matter what lie ahead they would face it with courage.

With a huff and a push, the valve turned slowly, creaking as if shaking off nonexistent rust. A hiss of steam and a crackle of electricity as the door's locks slammed out of their stone holds. The door's center rotated as it slowly creaked open...only for a second door to exist behind it, already halfway through unlocking all the same. By the time the way was clear, three of these feet-thick metal gates had been opened. Stevonnie couldn't help but worry that maybe this was a mistake. What requires that much protection?!

As the final doors slid open, Stevonnie found the room surprisingly familiar. Wrecked and rusted subway train cars, ruined construction equipment, filled with the corpses of those molded monsters-

Stevonnie froze.

There, in the center of the room, was their own corpse.

They stood still for a few eternal seconds, just trying to comprehend the sight. Was this a hallucination? The wounds on the body told them the truth as they noticed a gaping hole through it's chest. The interior was filled with viscera and mold, as if fungus was the only thing holding the body together. It was the exact place they were shot which killed them before.

Stevonnie brought a hand to their mask-covered mouth and swallowed the hint of bile they felt. They did not want to vomit again, not right now. Connie had the right of it, they thought. Seeing this told them that their bodies were probably artificial, since this means their current body was made after this one died. That was her theory, anyway.

Another glance at the body and a shaky sigh later, they gently side stepped around it, proceeding to the gate where they believed the rest of the tower lie. A valve was near it, similar to the massive one a few moments ago, but this one was much smaller and only blocked a single path with iron bars. Stevonnie's hands scraped and slid on the metal as the valve refused to budge. "Oh Come on! Why are you the one that won't move but the big one opened up easily!" They grunted as they re-adjusted their body to try and force the valve to move with no luck. They only stopped when they heard a noise behind them.

They stopped moving and went silent. The noise was that of bare feet on stone, something metal being lifted off the ground. They spun in place turning to face the noise. Another molded monster, perhaps. They knew what to expect, alive and dead. They could take them.

They weren't sure they could take themselves.

Their old corpse had risen to standing, slumped over backwards as it twitched and jittered, the slightest hint of spores seeping out of the hole in it's chest. A few hard jerks before it was standing up straight, a bloodied makeshift hammer in it's hand, the same they had before. Finally their old body was standing tall, weapon in hand, the only difference between them and the living Stevonnie being the hole in their chest, and the slight orange light in their eyes.

And they stared.

Stevonnie was terrified to move, their own corpse staring at them with a truly infuriated look, eyes and fingers twitching as it observed them. They could not have been less prepared for this, mentally or physically. Quietly, Stevonnie brought their gaze to the small microphone on their top.

"Uh-u-uncle Death?" They spoke with a whisper, as they brought their eyes back up to their own standing corpse. "C-can you tell me what's going on, please?"

"Oh Yeah!" His voice was at full volume, Stevonnie covering their speaker entirely to muffle the output slightly. "When you die in the Tower of Barbs, your old self becomes nothing but a mindless killer!"

Stevonnie's heart sank as they turned back to face themselves. Slowly but surely, their risen corpse began to step closer towards them, rotating the hammer in their hands, before they suddenly brought it overhead, running at them with hate filled eyes. To their surprise, it was far from silent, and rather than the monstrous hissing of the molded men, it spoke.

"Die, you Bitch!" So why was it such a foul mouth then?

Stevonnie yelped as they promptly ducked, the hammer slamming into the gate behind them. They quickly got to their feet and sprinted a few feet away from them, only to find the monstrous corpse on their tail. "What do I do what do I DO?!"

As they jumped to the side and watched their corpse slam the hammer into the side of a rusted car hard enough to leave a sizeable dent, Uncle Death spoke through the speaker. "Haters are smarter than your average enemy, but you can still out smart them! I believe in you, Senpai!"

"H-hater?!" The corpse promptly ran at them full tilt, jumping in the air as to perform a drop kick. Stevonnie simply side stepped the would be powerful kick, causing the "Hater" to fall to the floor. They didn't just rebound from slamming into concrete, actually writhing slightly on the ground in pain.

"Senpai, you gotta kill the old you before it kills you!" Uncle Death's cheering through their speaker made their breath catch in their throat. They had to kill their doppelganger.

No, no they didn't. They closed their eyes for a minute. They could quit right now. They could leave the game, leave the tower, and be safe. They are safe, in reality. This was a game.

They didn't have to do this. This was not a life or death fight, it was a challenge with no consequence.

When Stevonnie collected themselves, they opened their eyes to see their corpse having gotten up and shaken themselves off. They growled at Stevonnie, readying their hammer once again, charging at them with a scream as they held the makeshift weapon above them. "FUCKER! DIIEE!"

"LANGUAGE!" Stevonnie shouted in return as they lowered themselves, keeping their breathing stable. They waited as their hate-filled duplicate charged them, ready to smash their head in. They waited. Waited...Now!

As soon as their corpse readied it's swing, they rushed forward and bashed their head into their stomach, wrapping their arms around them as they did so. They heard the heavy clang of the makeshift hammer on the floor near them, their corpse groaning in pain from the hit. They acted fast, before it could make any sort of attacks from this awkward position. They pressed their head against it's stomach, moving an arm to the other side of it's body before bending forward, using their knees to lift them over top their head. They could feel their corpse flailing in their grasp, but they had them trapped on their shoulders.

"Amethyst taught me this one-!" They'd promptly hop up slightly before landing down with a heavy thud, letting the weight on their shoulders get forced downwards as they landed, forcing their hands down as well. The Back-Breaker, one of Steven's favorite wrestling moves Amethyst taught him. He was taught how to do it for show, however, and for this he sought to incapacitate.

"Primo!" They heard Uncle Death throw a word of success through their speaker, though had little time to process it.

There was a particularly loud noise, that of bone splitting, followed by Stevonnie feeling a flood of something warm pouring down their back. They promptly shut their eyes tight enough to ache, not daring to look at what was causing such a sensation. Their grip on their corpse was lost, but rather than feeling it slip to one side, they felt it slip to their left and right as the same time, before two separate thuds could be heard.

"It's a game it's a game it's a game it's a game..." Tears slipped past their eyes. They rationally knew it was fake, a simulation, a facade. And yet a small voice in the back of their mind screamed at them in panic and disarray. Stevonnie barely cracked an eye open, and could only see the slightest glimpse of red on their shoulders, and something...red at their feet. It wasn't blood, it was too solid. They shut their eyes all over again.

It was a few moments before they brought forth the courage to open their eyes entirely. They were still covered in blood, the smell assaulted them. They retched, blinking away tears and stepping back slightly. "They're not real, We may have well have just defeated a holo-pearl! A...very...morbid holo-pearl." They felt as the blood slipped from their body with ease, a shiver and shake and it seemingly fell off without resistance, not even leaving stains on their skin. They sighed in relief. Connie's medical knowledge suddenly carrying them to clarity. Blood is nowhere near that slick, it's viscous and sticky, and it stains what it touches. It was fake. They may have well have popped a balloon full of ketchup. With Stevonnie and their components calmed, they looked down at their corpse. It's more gory details were luckily covered in the thick fur of fresh mold, allowing them to view it. It laid split in half across the middle, splayed out on the cracked and blood stained concrete.

They split it in half?! How!? And yet they recalled how they defeated their first molded monster, a punch aimed for the jaw meant to simply knock it out, which broke it's jaw and caused it to perish quickly. These monsters were fragile in the weirdest way. They can take a hit, but what would normally Incapacitate kills. They're either up and attacking, or they're dead.

...Still, Stevonnie brought a hand over their gas mask, feeling their stomach turn. This game was so gross. But if it gets too gross, we can quit. They were interrupted by footsteps to their side. They shot up, ready to leap backwards, only to find a familiar skull looking at them. When did Uncle Death enter the game...?

"Yeeaah! You did it, Senpai! You took down your very first Hater! Way tougher than those Screamers, huh?"

Already, questions flooded their mind. They opened their mouth to speak, but only coughed and hacked for a moment. They must've been holding their breath without meaning to. "W-wait, wait! Why did I even fight myself?!"

"Oh yeah, When a player dies, their body gets back up and fights! It makes things really interesting if you die in one area and return to it later! You can even find the Haters of other players!"

That's...pretty cool, actually. Horrifying in practice, but when it comes to this being a game, the idea of fighting players who failed is fascinating. Thrilling, even. "And what is a Screamer, exactly?"

"Oh, Oh jeez I'm sorry! I assumed you knew, incorrectly! It's those moldy bad guys you already killed a few of. Your average mook, really. Their AI's all sorts of dumb." Stevonnie nodded along, no longer reeling from the fight. The longer they step back and reflect, the more they can disconnect the game from reality. "There's a fun side to Haters though! Since you killed your old self, you can recover the body! Don't worry about it for now, just keep climbing! But when you go back to the waiting room, I'll show you what I mean!"

Recover their body? What, the broken corpse? They watched with confusion as Uncle Death casually lifted one half of the destroyed body and placed it on top of the other. He then backed up, did a running leap onto it, and then vanished in a puff of black smoke. Suddenly he was gone, alongside any trace of the body. Even the blood pooling under it was gone.

Stevonnie closed their eyes and shook their head. Utterly ridiculous. Now they were alone again, with nothing but the sealed gate and immovable valve. Wait, that valve was lit up all green now. They walked up to it and gave it a crank, finding it suddenly quite easy to move as the gate of iron bars lifted up and out of the way. "Ooohhh, It only opens when I've defeated all the enemies! I get it!"

With a shake of their head and a small pump of their fists, they charged forward. They had defeated their most gruesome challenge yet, and felt all the braver for it. They could take on anything now, they were sure of it. Tower of Barbs, here they come!

* * *

   **-MOTHER BARBS : LIVING DEAD-**

 

_Another one of the mysterious appeals of this tower is the ability to meet the "old you" after you die within._

_This is due to the **Four Dons** that live within the Tower._

_They reanimate the corpses of all who die in their domain, and in return, use them as their own mindless killers within the Tower._

_Most visitors are shocked to see that their corpse has been reanimated and is now on a killing spree on their way to the top of the Tower._

_The chance of fighting against your own reanimated corpse is just yet another allure of this Tower._

* * *

 


	10. Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gero Gero!

Time had passed since Stevonnie defeated their first Hater, their rather cursory doppelganger. They chuckled to themselves. Cursory. That's a good one. They weren't really progressing however, closely inspecting every inch of the large tubular room that lay beyond the iron gate.

It lay filled with more rusted train cars and equipment, long rusted conveyor belts utterly carpeted in the molded remains of those monsters. Screamers? Uncle Death called them screamers. He knows this game, that's probably what they're actually called. Beyond the grotesque scenery, what kept Stevonnie in this room were the mushrooms they found within. One's cap inverted as it grew, it's red underside visible above it's white stalk, forming a red heart shape. Every instinct from Steven's gaming adventures screamed "Health Item!," so they decided to hold onto it rather than eat it for the time being, slipping it into a pouch on their belt. The second was grey, almost sharp looking as tiny crystals formed on it's surface. They had picked some of the crystals off and taken a bite, only to spit it out shortly afterwards. It tasted bland, like biting styrofoam. The final one turned to looked at, untouched in the small spot it grew on. It was round, bumpy, green, and it had an grid like pattern. That is to say it was shaped like a grenade. Stevonnie looked at it with squinted eyes. "I don't trust you..."

"Gero!"

Stevonnie's gaze promptly shot towards the source of the noise. Behind one of the destroyed conveyors was the slightest hint of green in the greys and browns of rust and rock. They narrowed their eyes, setting down the half-eaten grey shroom and slowly walking over to the sound, crouched and quiet. It was when they peaked around the corner of the belt that they saw what made the noise: A Frog! A very large one, it was the size of a cat! It was a beautiful yellow/green color, quietly croaking as it idled around the dull environment. Stevonnie looked on it's back, small spores growing out of it, tipped with almost gel like caps. They saw it turn slightly, little red eyes looking at them. It opened it's mouth.

"Oooh~ Gero gero gero!"

Stevonnie made a noise in return, a high pitched squeal of delight. "Oh my gosh you're so adorable! Come here!" The frog leapt away instinctively at the noise and motion, causing Stevonnie to stand up slightly and reach their arms out. "Come back! I just want to pick you up!"

A goose chase began as the frog took off, hopping away as Stevonnie gave chase. As the frog simply hopped over rusted metal, Stevonnie delicately jumped to keep up. When it retreated into a rusted train car, Stevonnie diligently followed, though crashed into one of the walls with a bang when they slipped on some mold. Finally, only when it hopped out of the train did Stevonnie manage to get close enough fast enough to wrap their fingers around it. It was lifted with a slight noise of distress, but then remained still. "Gotcha! Ohh your belly is so fat!" It was slimy in their grip, but big and fat and cute in their eyes. It's small eyes looking back at them as it croaked only made them adore the sight of it more. They'd have a few moments of peace to admire their caught little friend before Uncle Death chimed in.

"That's one of the Tower Beasts, Senpai! Animals that have adapted to the Tower of Barbs!"

Stevonnie looked down at their speaker. "These things are precious! Are there more? Can I keep one back in the waiting room?"

"Well, I guess you can! But there's a use for them too, you know! Eating a beast can really help in a pinch!"

"E-eating them?" They looked at the frog. On one hand, they've been on a jungle moon before, they know the necessity of caught wildlife in one's diet. Steven's side even agreed in the game sense, if heart mushrooms exist, it makes sense small animals could also be healing to eat...But it looked too cute to eat!

"Yeah! or you can kill them too! They all have different mushrooms in them, with lots of fun effects-!" 

Stevonnie dropped the frog on the ground, watching it land and hop away harmlessly. "Nuh-uh, No way! I'll fight moldy screamer monsters, I'll fight rude doppelgangers, but I'm not about to kill a cute frog!"

A pause. Then, a slight laugh through the speaker. "Heeey, whatever floats your collective boat, Senpai! Trying to climb the tower with less healing, now that's bold! You must really be a pro gamer!"

"Well...are there other things other than frogs?"

"Oh yeah! There's rats-" Ew. "-Scorpions-" What? "-even fish!" Fish sounds appetizing, actually.

"...Okay! I can _maybe_ do that! If the rats aren't cute either! But the frogs live!" As they said this, they noticed the frog they caught turn back around to look at them for a moment. They made one more noise, a single "Gero." before turning and hopping around a corner, disappearing. Stevonnie's smile grew wide and joyous. The frogs shall live! So decrees Stevonnie!

...

Now about that grenade shaped mushroom...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not everything I want Stevonnie to do can be in big grandiose chapters, so here's a smaller one!


	11. Tuber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scratch, Hover, Bone, Reverse.

Stevonnie blinked hard as they watched the most recent Screamer fall, their molded corpse exploding with blood before just as quickly fading and becoming obscured in the white fluff of fungus. A little hop of confidence at their recent progress: Not only where they proceeding decently smoothly through the tower, but they were growing more use to the sights and sounds of it. Sure, the game was still mad gross, but it wasn't quite so bad to them anymore. The blood barely stuck to any surface and just as quickly faded, the enemies being oddly fragile in their make and far to easy to kill, it all began to grow comfortable for Stevonnie in it's ridiculousness.

They still didn't care much for the hyper violence. It was just distasteful! But the tower's busted, industrial aesthetic was fascinating to explore through, and Connie especially loved how tactile the exploration was! Sure, it meant they felt rough concrete on their feet and the occasional scrape and bump, but it also meant they could feel the rushing water through cracked brick tunnels and taste the mushrooms that grew throughout. Some of them actually tasted really good, it turns out! A recent discovery was the "Crushroom," tough and sinewy, but when roasted over a fire it tasted delicious! Really got them energized too, helped get the blood pumping! Steven began to think of it as a power up, it probably makes them faster or hit harder or something.

A shame then that they had to be reminded how tactile sensations can be quite negative.

In their exploration of the Tower, they had entered a large square room, several tunnels leading into it. It was the same room they had fought their first screamer in, but it seemed it had a new resident now. Stevonnie's first glance had them ready up for another fight, but the longer they looked at it the more they faltered. This wasn't a screamer, no mold in sight. It was worse.

It's entire body was covered in a white material, like plastic sheets, wrapped and vacuumed sealed around the body. Indecipherably small black text could be seen along it's chest and arms. What arms it had, at least. They halted just above the elbow as if severed and replaced, ending in metal hinges with great long and curved spikes on the end. Upon it's shoulders was a circular metal cage, clicking as it gently moved. It seemed more like a sensor or radar than anything meant for protection or containment. Within this circular cage lay what shocked Stevonnie the most: A large and clear tube, made of glass or plastic, filled with grey matter. Brains forcibly stuffed, shaped, or maybe grown into such an odd elongated shape.

It had seen them, or detected them perhaps due to it's lack of eyes, the body lumbering towards them with a zombie like gait. It was slow, off balance, far less threatening than the active screamers.

So why couldn't Stevonnie move?

They were paralyzed in a way they were unfamiliar with. Of course they'd not know what it was like, they never experienced this amount of distress. They'd split and unfuse, but that was an impossibility within the game. "C-connie, What's wrong? We ca-W-we can't look at that thing! It's wrong! They were cut up or-or modified! Their head isn't right! It's not right!" It was Connie. Where blood and violence failed to phase her, surgical manipulation hit her straight in the nerves. The fusion eyes the lumbering machine warily as they toiled internally. "We can take it! We've taken on tougher! No! No it's not normal! What if it's alive?!"

"Connie, MOVE!" Stevonnie looked up at the machine and screamed as it saw the hooked claw swipe towards them. They attempted back up and fight their paralysis but ended up only falling backwards. And not fast enough. They felt the pin-pricks of sharp claws slash into their belly before slicing across it.

They wondered if the pain was dulled. They weren't sure. It felt real enough. They screamed as they watched their stomach be rended, flesh torn and blood pouring freely from the wound. Stevonnie was left in a blind panic, pain and distress overtaking all over processes. They forgot they were a fusion. They forgot they were in a game. All they knew is they had to live, and stop the source of the pain. They landed on the wet stone floor with a thud, choked noise of shock from the contact escaping their throat, seeing the machine tower over them.

They did not think before acting, simply rearing a leg back and kicking it square on the knee. They felt something buckle underfoot as it promptly lost its footing and collapsed on top of Stevonnie in a heap. It clearly was having trouble rising back to standing, it's clawed metal arms scraping uselessly on the floor. Stevonnie however was still in hysterics, and having the source of their pain directly on top of them only made it worse. They reacted in a flurry, hands grabbing everything they could to force and shove the machine off of them. Fingers wrapped around the thin wire cage, tearing it to shreds and ripping the pieces off, before a single hand grabbed the tube in which it's brain was located. With a single shove they slammed it into the concrete beside them, the sound of glass shattering finally shaking them out of their panic.

They quickly scooted away from the now destroyed machine, its body twitching as it made its death throes. It began to beep and squeal like a dying electronic before the white sealed plastic on its body burst, a thick green vapor seeping out of it. By the time it was finished, nothing remained, not even the metal attached to its frame.

Stevonnie was hyperventilating, but no longer where there twisted monsters or wetware machines near them. They were alone and safe. They winced and brought a hand to their stomach, expecting a massive oozing gash. They were shocked to find their body had already sealed the injury with a deep scar, but mass was still missing from their body as the gaps ached in its absence. "Health item!" They quickly reached into their pouch pocket, pulling out the small heart shaped shroom they found earlier and shoved it into their mouth. They payed no mind to the flavor as they ate with a dire need, before feeling their body tingle. Although the scar remained, their body seemingly healed rather fast as the missing mass within their stomach refilled quickly as if growing back lightning fast.

They'd remain seated for a few minutes. Their mind was reeling. Their components were both equally shaken as they stood with a shiver and a toddle to one side, nearly falling back over. Gone was their enthusiasm and courage, now they looked only at their own feet with grim thoughts.

"It's time to stop, for now."

They closed their eyes...No, they may as well return to the waiting room. That way they won't leave the body behind and make another walking corpse, another Hater. With a sigh and a shudder, they turned and made their way backwards. They'd find no enemies, no obstacles, the path was clear.

They shut their eyes and cried. Their components were in disarray. Connie felt as though she were a failure and embarrassment. She felt as though she failed to remain strong for the both of them. Yet it was Steven reminding her what she told him, that it was okay to be scared at a game, just as it was okay to be scared at a scary movie or story. And this game was terrifying in ways neither of them expected. Even when they thought they had finally conquered their fears of the Tower, something new would strike them down.

It was time to quit for the time being. To exit the game and spend some time together unfused. To provide comfort and company outside of such a twisted scenario.

* * *

It was after they exited the game that they realized a particular Uncle Death was missing. In his place were two unopened cans of soda and a small handwritten note.

" _Real sorry, guys. I noticed how shaken you were from fighting that Scratch Tuber, and I know I can be a bit of a  bone head at time, so I left to give you two some privacy. I even brought you some refreshing drinks too! Hey, if you guys still want to play again later though, feel free to come back! Later, you badass battle duo!_ \- U.D." Signed at the bottom of the note was a rather crudely drawn skull wearing sunglasses filled with spirals.

Steven was the first to read the note, and smiled at the gesture. Even if he tried to cut down on the caffeine a few years ago, it was a kind thing to do nonetheless. But his attention was elsewhere, to bringing his hands to Connie and wrapping her in a hug. She was shaking and weeping slightly, truly spooked by the sight of such a twisted machine.

In his mind, it was settled. She was staying at his place tonight. He refused to have her be scared and alone and to have her suffer nightmares without someone to help.

It was jam buds night.

 


	12. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crystal Gems prepare for a dangerous venture.

Garnet looked at the sun peaking ever so barely through the clouds from atop the high-rise as she prepared to peak into the future. Ever since the "EARTH RAGE" calamity, the sights of millions dying with no chance of a better future, she had found herself hesitant to look to the future anymore. But she had to, for Steven's sake.

Something had happened to him and Connie recently, something she did not foresee, and it has changed their future drastically. Her previous forecasts were rendered impossible and invalid, their futures now flung towards a currently unknown direction. As far as she could see, all that awaited them was static and madness, the only consistent images of these vague new futures was that of the Tower of Barbs, and the Moon. Without context, imagery of the moon was meaningless. It could simply mean important events take place at night, or on the old moon base. But the Tower, that was familiar, concrete, and discerning. What brought their futures to arrive at such a dangerous place? The Gems kept their distance from the tower, and made the greatest of attempts to keep humans away as well, though there was no stopping the occasional foolhardy human. And yet there she saw them in the far flung future standing atop the twisted mass of glass and rock.

How did they get there? Why? And what will happen to them once this future arrives? Fate remained elusive and vague, providing no answers. All that she knew for sure is that Steven and Connie would find themselves in the single most dangerous place on earth.

She could not allow that.

If there is a single thing she learned as Steven grew older, it is that no future is ever fixed. It can always be changed if one tries hard enough. Steven's presence seemed to deflect negative outcomes, his actions of compassion leading to favorable places for all he ever helped. It was time for her to return the favor.

"Yo, Garnet! You done brooding up here?" Amethyst had climbed to the same rooftop to fetch her, it seemed. "When you said "urgent" I thought you'd have a presentation and everything ready! What's going on?" From atop the high rise, they stood tall above the city, though the once hustle and bustle of such a place has been done away with, replaced with the quiet glare of building light and the rare movement of a bus below. Amethyst's outfit had been unchanged for years, but having been poofed a short time after the Earth Rage event caused her to change, wearing a crop top and sweatshirt, with a bandanna around the neck. Her inspiration was clear: Those that took on the apocalyptic punk look after the event certainly gave her all the material she needed.

"Hello? Earth to Garnet? Pearl's throwing a fit downstairs waiting for you, and you're just sitting up here looking like Batman! Come on, lets go!"

Garnet stood then. "I'm coming. I was just looking at the future."

"Really? See anything good?"

...

"I'll take that as a no, got it. See you downstairs!"

And with that, Amethyst re-entered the building. Garnet looked back up at the moon as it peaked through the clouds.

In every vision, the moon was full. As of now, it was a waning gibbous. They had at the absolute least about a month before the vision she saw becomes reality. They had some time, at least, to prepare.

Garnet stood and began her walk back into the building.

* * *

 

Pearl nervously paced behind the kitchen counter. Amethyst said she'd go and get Garnet, but who knows how long that will take? She might stop to grab a snack from a vending machine or to harass a neighbor or whatever it is she does when she's unsupervised nowadays! Pearl began to fidget slightly, before opening the fridge and perusing the wide array of fruits and vegetables before grabbing a few carrots and beginning to chop them simply to occupy her idle hands. They could not take any longer, she decided. This was ridiculous, she also decided.

It was after several carrots were diced into small cubes that Amethyst finally returned to the suite. Pearl sighed and promptly placed the knife down with a clatter. "There you are! Where's Garnet? Is she coming?"

"Jeez, Relax P! She's on her way, she was just doing some future checking. Probably just needed some peace and quiet from your cooking and my eating."

"I will not relax, she said this might involve Steven! What's so important that she'd call us all here, only to be late for her own meeting?!"

"I dunno, maybe she just saw something new and cool! Seriously, relaaax!"

"How exactly am I suppose to relax then, Hm?"

"Weeell you could come with me to the dump sometime, find a nice trash pile-"

"Absolutely not! Why do you keep going there, you come back smelling horrible!"

"Well I gotta find a replacement for old room! It works well enough for casual sleeping!"

Pearl huffed, crossing her arms and preparing to pout when the door opened again. "Oh Garnet, Finally! What's going on? Is-"

"Steven is not in any immediate danger." This alone caused Pearl to sigh in relief as she covered her chest with a hand. "What this meeting is to determine is how to best prevent future danger, for more than just Steven."

Amethyst was sitting aside, arms behind her head. "Soooo...Meeting time?"

"Meeting time."

Pearl put away the kitchen utensils as Amethyst casually turned on her heel to walk further into the suite. Their little meeting space was simply a spot near the large windows that they cleared out for a warp pad, the empty space free of distractions. It was here, usually with Steven present, occasionally with Connie, Peridot, or Bismuth, that they spoke plans of recovery and relief, alongside the usual gem related activities. Tonight however was a rarity, plans of future events as foreseen by Garnet, rarely spoken of since the Earth Rage event.

 Amethyst promptly seated herself backwards on a chair, doing her best hip with the kids teacher impression. Pearl meanwhile fidgeted in place nervously. After a moment, Garnet began.

"Recent viewings of the future have foreseen Steven and Connie both in an exceedingly dangerous situation. In these visions, they are both seemingly fine, but given the location I cannot be sure."

Pearl spoke quietly. "You don't mean..."

"I do mean the Tower of Barbs."

"What on  _earth?!_ " A shout loud enough to cause Amethyst to put a pinky in her ear. "Why would they even be there?  _How_ did they get there?!"

"Pearl, please collect yourself. You know that the tower is a bizarre place, and that my future vision is vague at best involving events surrounding it. It is as if those within the tower are in multiple places all at once, all at the same time, at all times. Whatever force resides within prevents clear visions. What I can tell you however is that Steven and Connie will be unharmed in the vision."

"Buuuut they could be stuck, right? Or like, surrounded by potentially dangerous stuff?"

"Exactly. We have at the absolute minimum one month to figure out what this means-"

"Only one month?! That's nowhere near enough time to scale every inch of the tower-!"

"Absolute minimum, Pearl. I was using the phases of the moon to figure out when this could occur. It may be in a month, it may be years. However long it takes for it to occur does not matter. What matters is how we act now."

Amethyst, despite the rather grim prophecy, was now standing on the chair with a big smile. "Are we finally going to enter the Tower?!"

"Yes, Amethyst. We have to."

She promptly began to pump her fists into the air. "YEAH! Yeah yeah yeah, No more kindly asking people to just please turn around and not get killed, we get to GO in there, FIND what's hurting them, and STOP it!"

"Amethyst, this is not some game!" Pearl was upright, hands clenched into tight fists to her sides. "This is not an opportunity for you to just go running in there and getting yourself poofed, or worse!"

"You're right, it's not! This is to protect Steven, and Connie, and lots of other people!"

"Enough, both of you!" They had both turned now to face Garnet. Despite her raised voice, her posture was unchanged, expression only faintly agitated. "We will not be going inside the tower right away. We have to find out everything we can about it before entering, to ensure our own safety. But-" She turned to face Pearl, who was in the midst of a smug expression towards Amethyst. "-We will climb the tower. We've spent too long avoiding it, we have to discover the source of what is drawing so many people towards it and stop it, for thousands of others, but also for Steven and Connie."

Pearl uncrossed her arms and raised a hand. "Well, if we must...I'll start by asking around South Tokyo, and the Japan Remnants. There may be a few people who went a little ways into the tower and returned, their first hand accounts will be excellent!"

Amethyst just shrugged, a bit bummed at the delays to actually going in. "I can't exactly go in there yet so...I'll do some local asking around, but also lots of internet research. I'm talkin forum boards, wikipedia, I'll look up all the stuff you guys don't know how to!"

Garnet smiled at the two. "I'll begin by attempting to graze potential futures within the tower. If I believe it is safe, one of us may be able to scout the inside before we begin to explore it properly."

"Oohh I hope that's meeee!" Amethyst squealed.

"And remember, we must keep an eye on Steven, but do not smother him, Pearl."

"W-what? Why me? I've never smothered him!...Much!"

"Yes you do. You two know where I'll be. I ask you not to interrupt my meditation, but please, come get me if you require my presence. For this task or otherwise."

Amethyst would promptly leap out of the chair and run around a corner whilst shouting "Time to use the Interneeet! Too bad you two old timers can't figure it out!"

"I can to! I just choose not to! It is a cesspool of all the worst human interactions!" She huffed, turning to stand on the warp pad. "I'll be back soon, Garnet." With a blue flash, she was gone.

Garnet smiled as they went about their own routes of progress, but she just as quickly let her shoulders sag and let worry overtake her for a moment. Steven and Connie, trapped in such a horrid place...She hoped that wasn't the case. The last thing they deserve is to be brought into further distress. If they are destined to go to that place, then they shall make it as safe as possible.

In the back of her mind, however, lay another reason to enter the Tower of Barbs. Future vision is distorted, Humans are drawn to it in droves, and yet hundreds continue to die within. It isn't normal, not natural in the slightest. She hoped it was rogue gem tech, or even Homeworld's interference.

The alternative was far more terrifying to her. If this was not Homeworld, if this was not related to old gem technology, that means something else is causing these supernatural phenomena. Something earthborne. Something unknown.

Something they could never prepare for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blech, really struggled with this chapter. Definitely not my best, but I can move on now.


	13. Midnight Worry Game

_Something's going to happen, something big! It's a code Garnet!_

 

_All Beach City Residents must prepare for evacuation! This is not a drill!_

 

_No, don't take the roads! It's not safe! It's not safe...the boats! Docks! Boardwalk, now!_

 

_Take only what you need!_

 

_Leave it behind! We don't have time, we have to go now!_

 

_I'm going to miss this temple._

 

_Earthquake!_

_The water's rising!_

 

_Is that everyone?!_

 

_It's all gone. Everything's gone._

 

_Where'd it go?! Where's Beach City?_

 

_CONNIE!_

 

* * *

 

 Steven's eyes bolted open with a gasp, before sitting up in a panic. He was cold, covered in sweat, terrified. This wasn't the beach house.

...Yeah, yeah it's not. This is just your house, Steven. This is where you live. The beach house is gone.

It was the same nightmare as always. Beach City during the Earth Rage. Every night the details are a little different, but it's no less terrifying. Beach City became historic as one of the few places on earth with a 0% mortality rate during the cataclysm, thanks in part to Garnet's future vision and to the collaborative efforts of both the gems and Beach City residents. This miracle did not make the event any less traumatizing, and near death events were constant.

This time, Onion had to be yanked out his house. He tried to rescue his pet snake.

Lars was asleep, and he and Sadie barely managed to get him awake in time before the tremors began.

But the end is always the same.

Beach city tears in two, crumbles to dust, and sinks in the ocean waters. The temple is ripped asunder, the lighthouse collapsed in a pile of rubble. The scars upon the earth weeped with salt and stone.

Then the tidal waves began.

He knew they were coming. Not only did Garnet warn him, but he knew any fault this great on land would be catastrophic on sea as well.

He had to keep the boats upright, afloat, and everyone safely on board. He did so with a bubble, a great shield. He still remembered the fire in his belly and how it felt as though his bones were boiling from the inside. He remembered how late the shield had formed, how one of the boats was capsized and he barely managed to contain all of the people in the shield.

Everyone but Connie.

Steven wiped his brow and sighed, casually feeling the sheets under him, soaked with sweat and cold in the night time chill. Great, now he's gotta wash them. A rub of the eyes and a turn later, he'd begin to stand.

He'd be interrupted by an iron grip on his other arm.

He turned to see Connie, still asleep, but writhing. Steven insisted she stay the night with how shaken she was when they last played Let It Die. Watching her wince and whimper while holding onto him for dear life only validated his fears. She was having a nightmare. He'd lean back down on the bed and would face her, gently tugging at her shoulder.

"Connie, Connie wake up."

It'd take a slight shake, but her eyes promptly bolted open with a panicked gasp, suddenly shifting forward and wrapping around Steven, holding him for support. Her eyes, as wide as they were, focused on nothing and stared ahead blankly. She was shaking and beginning to hyperventilate.

Steven gently wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. "It was a bad dream, you're awake now, you're safe. I promise."

Connie blinked a few times, eyes finally registering Steven's room. She slowed her breathing before she scooted away from Steven to look at him, as his tired expression and slight smile. She then looked at her hands and curled her fingers, all there. It was only then after reality reasserted itself that she hugged her arms around herself and began to cry. She'd scoot back over to Steven then, placing her head against his neck as his soft arms wrapped around her tightly. She'd sob against him.

Steven's smile was still present, a sad little smile. This is not the first time such nightmares have happened before with either of them, and they very much needed each other when their dreams turned cruel. He'd pet her hair as she cried, kissing her forehead and letting her unwind. No words were spoken, nothing needing to be said. Steven didn't want to know what happened in the nightmare, and Connie didn't want to relive it through description.

As she slowly fell back asleep against him, Steven held her. He'd be her shield again, from nightmares. And from further nightmares. He wasn't going to let her see those horrid monsters again, he decided. The game's not worth it. They won't play it anymore.

He would ensure it.

* * *

 

The sun rose and painted the city orange, it's citizens waking and preparing for work. Communal buses began their stops in front of apartment complexes and converted hotels. Many people simply began to walk to their friends or lovers, to their place of work or commune.

Within the Hated Arcade, shutters were pulled over the window to keep the interior moody and dark as intended. The door would open as it's newest customer walked in, an excited Uncle Death rising from his stool before the arcade's seemingly only employee could give her canned greeting.

"Hey HEY! Welcome! Let me guess, you're here to play the Death Drive 128, yeah?"

"Uuhh, Yeah actually. Sorry, Just wasn't expecting some funky grim reaper to greet me-"

"Wait! Are you...one of the crystal gem?" 

Amethyst blinked. "What gave it away? The purple skin? The gem?"

Uncle Death promptly shot his arms above his head and gave a cheer, before spinning in place while stamping his feet. The display caused Amethyst to lean back with a smile. This guy was weird, she decided.

"Oh my GOD I'm such a huge fan! I hear about you guys all the time! Saving people here, Fighting monsters there! Oh this is so cool! Oh, Oh senpai, can I get an autograph?"

Amethyst promptly snorted then. "Senpai?! Hey man, no need for the fancy title, I'm a gem but I'm not all that different from you guys."

"Oh but you are! You're like superheroes! From space! Oh man this is just like one of my anime!" Uncle Death promptly spun around and faced away from her, before taking deep breaths and making odd arm movements. Was he doing tai chi? Amethyst shot Detox a look from behind a counter. She shrugged at her, and got a shrug back in response. Uncle Death finished his odd zen ritual before spinning back around. "Hokay! My huge fanning over you hard aside, you did want to play the Death Drive 128, right?"

"Yeah, Skull-Man! I was looking up some stuff about the Tower of Barbs on Wikipedia and stuff, but I came across a game wiki called Let It Die-?"

"LET IT DIE! It's only like the coolest game ever! Hacky Slashy rogue-like with lots of fun enemies and sick man hunt gruesome kills!"

"Slow down there, Grim. Hack and Slash sounds cool, I don't know what a rogue-like is, and what do you mean by "Man hunt" kills?"

"I'm talking gory! Brutal! Sadistic! Goretastic! Delightfully creative with a fountain of blood!"

Amethyst thought this over. A game on the tower of barbs with horrifically gory visuals? "Okay, so no more: Sign me up. Where do I play this?" Garnet's prophecy wasn't for a few weeks, right? And this was research, in a way.

"HAHAHA, YEAH! Another contender! Here comes a new challenger! Oohh man Senpai, I can't wait to see you play! Over here, in the booth, I'll get it set up!"

* * *

**LET IT DIE**

**Press Start**

* * *

 


End file.
